Hidden Obsession
by MabuiMiyoko
Summary: what'll happen when the person you bullied when you were a teenager becomes the very person you fall in love with? He'll do anything to take it back and be with her while his ex will do everything to keep them apart. Tomoe v.s Kaoru
1. Outcast

Disclaimer: another one of those where I don't really own anything… don't own character, don't own main plot. I did edit a bit to make it smoother and to fit the story more. Don't sue me, I just wanted to share one of my favorite stories with you guys and since I had to change some stuff so I can post it in the RK section, I guess I did that… hope you'll like this story too.

Full Summary: What happens when you hurt a girl all your life and realized after you pushed them to the last straw that you realize you love her? He's obsessed, she haunts him everywhere. She doesn't like him anymore and better, his ex is on the side trying to break them apart. Will she forgive he? Lovehim back? Reject him? He'll do anything to be with her, She'll do anything to prevent that, what will happen?

* * *

**Chapter 1  
****Introduce a Life Long Friend**

"Hey, move it, you freak!"

I stepped aside, allowing the person to pass through. I didn't need to rack my brain to figure out who it was. I didn't even need to look up to know who it was.

Because it was always the same person. With a whole bunch of girls who made up his fan club. His stupid fan club.

The one and only, Kenshin Himura.

I averted my gaze from them and fixed my attention onto the floor. I could hear a few of the girls snickering at me as they passed by.

I stared after them in distaste. What was it about him that everyone found so attractive? Although he was good-looking, with perfectly chiseled features and a deep set of purple-once-in-a-while-angry-amber eyes to go with it, he was probably one of the meanest and rudest person that I ever had the misfortune of knowing. And yet, tons and tons of girls were practically on their knees begging him to bring them out on a date. Granted, he was rich. But whatever happened to the old-fashioned way of falling in love with his personality and his heart rather than his wealth and looks? I shrugged. It was none of my business anyway.

I headed to class, my hands overflowing with books. The moment I set foot into the class, the atmosphere became silent. The chattering all died down as I placed all my books on my desk, located at the back of the class.

"So, Kamiya, I've always wanted to ask you. Is that sweater you are wearing specially made for you or did you get it at the reject shop?" asked Tomoe as the whole class burst out in laughter.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. This was getting old. Every morning, it was the same thing. I sat down in my seat and attempted to arrange my books into my desk, all the time ignoring their sarcastic remarks. Personally, I don't know what made everyone hate me so much. I never did anything to hurt their feelings. At least none that I could think of. But I didn't mind being alone. In fact, I kind of liked it.

* * *

The bell rang signaling the end of lessons. Chairs scraped on the floor as they were pushed backwards by students hurrying to get to the cafeteria before all the nice food were sold out. Mr. Saitou raised his voice to be heard over the noise.

"Remember, I want a 1000 word essay on the conflict about the Bakamatsu by tomorrow."

Groans were heard from every corner as everyone exited the class. I put away my books slowly. I didn't have to rush for time. I hardly ate the school food and I always had no difficulty getting a table. In fact, I'm beginning to think that the table right at the corner. where I usually sit is always reserved for me seeing as how nobody ever sits there.  
The cafeteria was filled with an excited buzz when I entered. I could hear snatches of people's conversations around me.

"…who is he?"

"…doesn't look familiar at all. He isn't even in our uniform!"

"…he's good-looking…"

"…what's he doing here?"

I was curious but did not want to ask anybody, lest they might freak and blow up at me because I had just touched their expensive, imported cardigan from America.  
I froze in my tracks on the way to my usual table. Instead of it being empty, there were now 3 people, guys to be exact, seated there, with trays of food on the table. I looked around the cafeteria for a spare table, which was empty but found none. I groaned inwardly. There was nothing that I can do except go up to them and see if they would allow me to sit with them. Unless I was mistaken, they probably wouldn't if they had already heard those rotten rumors going around about me, which I am sure the people in this school would only be too happy to indulge with them.

As I headed over to them slowly, dreading every second, the guy in the dark blue long-sleeved shirt looked up at me and grinned. It took me half a second to register who he was before I was running towards him and crushing him in a large bear hug.

* * *

I laughed in glee as I finally let go of him.

"Aoshi! When did you come back? How come you never told me anything about it?" I said in delight.

"I just reached this morning. And how's my little sister doing?" he smiled as he rapped me lightly on the nose.

"Fine. Thanks," I giggled.

"Someone seems to be forgetting about me…"

I turned to look at the guy in the gray shirt. My mouth dropped open as recognition dawned on me.

"Akira!" I ran around the table to give him a hug. "What brings you here?"

"Took you a while to recognize me, eh?" He exhaled a sigh and looked heavenwards.

"Forgotten all about little old me huh? I'm hurt. Hurt that you didn't think of me all this while, whereas I kept thinking of you."

I knocked his forehead lightly. "Did you forget to take your medication again? You're talking gibberish."

As I proceeded to sit down, I finally realized that there was another person who has kept silent all this while. I gave him a small smile and gazed questioningly, first at my brother, then at Akira.

"Oh, this is my cousin, Seta Soujiro. Soujiro, meet Kamiya Kaoru, the ever hyper person, with a man crushing hug and a lousy memory…" faltered Akira as I gave him the evil eye.

I grinned at Soujiro and extended my hand towards him. "Hi, Seta-san. Nice to meet you. Don't ever listen to a word he says. He talks rubbish most of the time."

He grasped my hand. "So that's it! I always knew there was something wrong with him!"

We both burst into laughter.

"There's a reason why he's here you know," continued Akira, clearing his throat. "He'll be

studying here with you, while we settle down here."

"Aoshi, is it true, you're moving here? For real?" I was beside myself with joy.

"Yes. We're moving here. For real."

* * *

My brother and Akira had left us after we were introduced so that we could get to know each other better.

"So," began Soujiro, "where are your friends?"

I winced. I knew this was coming.

"There's something that I need to tell you but first you have to promise me that you would not breathe a single word to anybody else, especially not to my brother."

He gave me a quizzical look. "Alright. I promise."

I took a deep breath. "You see, I don't really have any friends here." I could see his expression become one of surprise. "I'm not sure why either, maybe it's because I have a rotten attitude or something. I honestly have no idea. It's just that people have always shunned me ever since I first came here. I guess they don't like the idea of a new face amongst all of them. But I'm alright with the whole thing. I don't really mind actually. And you can always go around making friends. You don't have to worry about me at all."

I gave him a small smile.

He looked at me for a few moments. "Why don't you want your brother to know about it? If you're not happy, you can always change schools."

I fidgeted with the hem of my skirt. "I don't want him to worry about me more than he does now. He's probably got a lot of things to do, what with managing a whole company at the young age of twenty four. He does not need the additional stress. Besides, it's been hard enough these past three years without my parents. We've managed to come so far already on our own, and I don't want it all to fall apart. I can manage it on my own. Don't worry so much."

I had kept everything bottled up inside me for so long, and suddenly, I felt as though a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. Without meaning to, tears began forming in my eyes, and I blinked rapidly to get rid of them. I bowed my head downwards trying to recollect my thoughts.

For a moment, both of us were silent.

Then he spoke.

"I'll be your friend."

* * *

"Kamiya!"

I raised my head and looked all around me to locate who had yelled my name out so loud. Soujiro ran up to me, panting. "Hey! Morning. Wanna walk to school together?"

I looked at him dumbfoundedly as he gave me an adorable grin. "You want to walk to school with me? Do you know what other people might think of you? They'll probably treat you in a rotten way by not talking to you, constantly making fun of you, calling you all sorts of stupid names and…" I bit my lip and trailed off at his expression.

"Okaaaay. I get the drift. But, so what? We're friends right? And friends stick by each other no matter what."

With that statement, he relieved me of my schoolbag, placed it over his head, across his chest and onto his shoulder. Then he turned towards me and said, "Coming?"

For the very first time, ever since my parents died, I felt truly happy. As we walked together, side by side, I relieved him of some of his books, which he carried by hand. It was only fair after all. He helps me carry my bag and I help him carry his books.

As we talked and laughed on the way, a silver sports car, with its windows rolled down and the stereo on at full blast passed by us. It stopped a few feet away from us, then reversed so that they were positioned right next to us.

Tomoe stuck her head out and stared straight at me, "Walking to school I see. Are you just practicing a healthy lifestyle or are you just so poor that you can't even afford to take the bus to school? If you needed to borrow some money, I'd always be glad to help. Just think of it as charity."

Kenshin, who sat in the driver's seat just glanced over at us and smirked. Then he revved up the engine and zoomed off in a cloud of dust.

"How come you didn't say anything back to her?"

I gazed downwards. "They're not exactly people you want to mess with, Seta-san," I said

in a small voice.

"Why not?"

"It's bad enough that they're mean but they're also popular. Everyone looks up to them. They're the IT couple. And if you offend any one of them, everyone turns against you and things could get pretty ugly. Not that it'd make any difference to me, huh?" I said.

He pushed my forehead gently. "Stop thinking stupid things. Things will look up. Trust me, and please just Soujiro would be fine."

I gave him a small smile, "then please, only Kaoru."

* * *

I trudged towards my class, head bowed down, preparing myself for the hurtful remarks bound to be thrown my way the moment I entered the class.

"Never ever let anyone walk over you, Kaoru. Be strong. Always remember that whatever happens, I'll always be here for you." Soujiro's words played over and over again in my head. Somehow, I found little comfort in his words. If only he knew what it was like for me. But I knew he meant well and that was all that mattered. I took a deep breath, and entered the classroom.

"…and he was so sweet about it. He bought me flowers, a hundred red roses to be exact! Not that I was surprised, I mean, which guy would not fall for me? Of course, I had to turn him down. My Kensin wouldn't be too happy to know that I'd cheated on him, right?"

I rolled my eyes at what Tomoe said. A whole group of girls were sitting around her lapping up every single thing she said, while she sat, one leg crossed over the other, on the table.

"Which reminds me, it'll only be a matter of time before your precious little friend, Seta Soujiro, comes after me, Kaoru. Keep that in mind. And if I were you, I wouldn't get too close to him. Who knows, when he gets bored being friends with you, he might just dump you and that wouldn't be pretty, would it?"

She stared straight into my eyes, her gaze piercing me. For a while, I felt myself faltering. It was no secret that almost every guy had at least fallen for Tomoe once. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why. She had flawless features, with a fair complexion and silky, long black hair that cascaded past her shoulders to compliment her. I looked away from her and began to unpack my bag. Too immersed in my own thoughts, I had failed to notice that everyone had ceased what they were doing and all their attention were now focused towards the doorway.

It wasn't until he spoke that I raised my head.

* * *

"How long did it take for you to figure out all of this, Yukishiro Tomoe?" asked Soujiro, who was leaning against the doorframe, one leg crossed over the other, with his arms folded.

"I never expected you to find out so early that I had feelings for you," he continued, as he walked slowly towards her.

Tomoe shot me a triumphant smile and raised her eyebrows as if to say, "I told you so". I was stunned. Stunned beyond belief. Things weren't supposed to turn out like that. I could only open and close my mouth in disbelief, all the while staring transfixed at what was happening in front of my eyes.

Soujiro placed both his arms on either side of her on the table and leaned towards her while she just sat there and smiled seductively. I was so sure they were going to kiss. In fact, I was willing to bet a hundred on it. His face was just inches away from hers.

"Unfortunately, Yukishiro, the feelings I have for you aren't exactly bordering on love, you know. In fact, they're pretty far from it. Sorry to disappoint you," said Soujiro, pulling away from her in a flourish.

I blinked my eyes in confusion. Wait a minute. Did he just say what I thought I heard him say? He glanced over at me and winked. I suddenly felt an urge to laugh. Almost as if on cue, the whole class burst into applause and whistles can be heard. Well, almost the whole class anyway. All the girls were shooting daggers at him, whereas all the guys were cheering and slapping him on the back as he strolled over to where I was sitting.

"Scared you didn't I?" he asked, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Nope. Not at all. I saw it coming," I said, my face dead pan. I managed to remain expressionless for a few more seconds before I burst out laughing, till tears came out of my eyes. "You should have seen her expression! Nobody's ever rejected her before, you know, and you came and said it right in her face, you meanie!"

"So… did I do good?" he asked, laughing along with me.

"Stupido! What brings you here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be in the other class which is three doors down?" I said, knocking him lightly on the head.

"Not anymore. I requested for a change of class, and now I'll be in the same class as you!" he said excitedly.

"Really? Why do you need a change of class?" I asked, suspiciously.

"So that no one will mess with you! So be grateful and don't think so much!" he answered, pushing my forehead backwards.

Suddenly, an awful thought came into my mind. "Soujiro! After what you did, everyone's going to treat you like trash! I knew you shouldn't have done something like that! Now

you've gotten yourself in trouble!" I said, whacking him on the shoulder.

"So? She deserved it! She's got a head as big as a hot-air balloon! It's a wonder how she could have fit it through the door. And I've got nothing to worry about because you're my friend, and like I said earlier, friends stick by each other no matter what. So through my times of hardship, you'll be there for me, right?"

"Right!" I said without hesitating.

* * *

Surprisingly, we breezed through the first half of the day without any trouble. News about what happened had, of course, gotten out. Gossip flew around this school faster than anything. It was everyone's topic of conversation everywhere. Some of them were supportive of what Soujiro had done, but some were not.

"…heard he said it right to her face…"

"…a bit cheeky of him to do it…"

"…serves her right…"

"…Kenshin won't be happy about this…"

"…he sure showed her…"

"Uh-oh, looks like I've caused a pretty big commotion, huh?" Soujiro asked, as we sat our trays, laden with food, down at my usual table.

"Yeah," I answered, in a worried tone.

"Maybe it'll blow over in a week or so," He said, trying to convince me.

"Not likely. I don't think people are just going to forget about what happened that easily. Especially not Tomoe or Kenshin," I said, surveying the cafeteria crowd. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing! Nothing at all." I smiled at him and proceeded to fill my stomach. The thing was, neither Kenshin nor Tomoe was at the cafeteria. And they hardly ever missed lunch breaks. Almost never. Well, only once. And that was when somebody had messed up Tomoe's shirt by accidentally spilling paint all over it. The poor guy had returned to school a week later with a battered face and a fractured arm. It wasn't hard to figure out what had happened during that lunch break. But no harm would come to Soujiro, right? I gave him a small smile as he looked up at me and offered me some of his pie. Right?

* * *

A/N to think on it, ya it is kind of waffy and stuff but I still like it. Review! (one of the stories I'm likely to update every week) 


	2. Apology

**Disclaimer**: I don't own RK, nor the majority of the plot. Just sharing my friend's lovely story. Btw I did kinda rewrite parts of this. So it's a two people story. --;;

**A/N**: thanks to all my readers i didn't know if this story was good enough to continue.

* * *

**Chapter Two  
Apology**

Trouble came in the form of a fist fight after school. We were both walking home together after school, with Soujiro carrying my bag and me carrying his books. I was relieved that nothing had happened to him during the last few hours of school. I didn't mind if it happened to me, but not to Soujiro. Besides, it was my fault that this happened anyway. I felt considerably happier as we walked and joked around. I felt nothing could go wrong anymore for today.

That was until I saw a silver sports car in the opposite direction.

Until I heard it swerve around and stopped a few feet behind us.

Until I heard the car doors opening and closing and footsteps approaching us.

"Well, what have we here? If it isn't little busu and her precious friend," sneered Tomoe. I felt a lurch inside, as though I had just dropped twenty feet. I slowly turned around, only to come face to face with Tomoe and Kenshin. No surprise there.

"You didn't think you could get away with this so easily did you? I, Yukishiro Tomoe, have never been treated like that before. And in public too. Surely, you didn't expect me to let you guys off the hook just like that, because nobody, and I mean nobody, messes with me and gets away with it," she said.

"There's always a first isn't it?" retorted Soujiro. "I was the one who caused everything. If you want to settle anything, you do it with me. Leave Kaoru out of this," he said, pulling me to stand behind him.

"Your wish is granted," said Kenshin as he grabbed Soujiro by the collar, his golden eyes piercing through Soujiro's warm brown ones. Before he could react, Kenshin had punched him in the jaw causing his glasses to fall to the ground. Next, he socked Soujiro in the stomach. It must have hurt a lot because he doubled over, crouching on the ground. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth. Before Kenshin could lay another punch, I ran forward and held his hand back in a bid to prevent it from hitting Kenshin. Somehow, I must have done a pretty rotten job of holding it back because his fist connected with my jaw bone.

For a moment, everything froze. Then I felt the pain course through me as the insides of my mouth filled with blood. Tears of pain filled my eyes as I held onto my jaw. "Leave him alone," I managed to choke out while spitting out blood.

I could see Tomoe smirking whereas Kenshin was just standing there, still as a statue. As I looked up at him, my eyes silently pleading with him, I thought I saw something in his eyes. But it was gone in an instant. Instead, he turned Tomoe and said, "Let's go."

I helped Soujiro get to his feet.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded my head. "My jaw feels a bit off though."

"I'm sorry I pulled you into this mess. It's all my fault. I'm sorry."

I knocked him on the head. "What are you talking about? We're friends, and friends go through everything together."

With that statement, I picked up the strewn books and his spectacles. "Do you think you can walk?" I asked with a smile.

He smiled back at me. "I'll need a little help."

* * *

"Kaoru! Soujiro! Whatever happened to the both of you?" asked my brother, Aoshi, rushing over to look at me.

"Oh, hey Aoshi! Heheh, we got into a fight," I replied meekly.

"A fight? Of all the things you could have done, you got into a fight? Don't you guys have anything better to do?" asked Akira, taking off his shoes.

"It wasn't her fault. I started the whole thing," Soujiro butt in.

"Nonsense. I had every part in it," I replied.

"What? But I was the one who said all those stuff!"

"So?"

"What do you mean, so? So you had no part in it!"

"Stop being so crappy, Soujiro. You know very well that it was my fault too! If it weren't for me…"

All this while, both Aoshi and Akira were observing us, their heads moving from left, then right, then left again and right again, as though watching a tennis match.

"Enough!" they both yelled out simultaneously.

We both shut up immediately and looked over at them.

"Come over here, Kaoru. Let me see your jaw," my brother said, beckoning me with his hand while Akira tended to Soujiro. "That guy must have given you quite a punch, huh? It's all swollen!" he said, moving my head left and right, carefully inspecting my jaw.

Then he lifted an ice pack that the Tae-san had prepared earlier and pressed it onto the bruise.

"Ow, ow, ow, watch it! Not so hard!" I whined.

"What happened anyway?" he asked.

I was silent. How was I going to explain the whole situation without him finding out what I was going through in school? Luckily, Soujiro was quick to come up with something.

"I kind of offended some snob in the school and while he was…um…hitting me, Kaoru decided to be a heroine and block one of his blows."

"Heroine? I was not trying to be a heroine! You were being beaten to a pulp! What was I supposed to do? Stand there and watch? Aish!" I said, throwing an ice cube in his direction.

He retaliated by throwing two ice cubes at me. I took a pillow nearby and flung it as hard as I could in his direction. The only problem was that it hit Akira instead. Ooops.

"Could you guys be any more childish? You're already sixteen! So behave like a sixteen year old!" he mumbled.

I opened my mouth in disbelief. "Look who's talking! You're the guy who wears boxers with little golf balls all over them! And you're supposed to be twenty two! If that's not childish, I don't know what is."

"Hey! That's not childish! And how did you know I had those boxers? Were you looking through my things?" asked Akira, his face flushing red with embarrassment.

"Akira-san, you're forgetting something aren't you? While you're staying here with us, the Tae-san helps to clean your laundry. And where does she dry the laundry? Out in the backyard where everyone can see it!" I replied, laughing.

"Yeah, yeah whatever."

"Aren't you guys going out tonight or something? Like, don't you all have dates or a social event that you have to attend?" asked Soujiro.

Both Akira and Aoshi exchanged glances.

"Nope. We have nowhere to go tonight. No dates. No nothing. Nada. So that means you're stuck with us," my brother answered, giving us a small smile.

I looked over at my brother feeling a bit sad. The only reason why he hardly ever dated nowadays was because most of the girls who were interested in him, or pretended to be interested in him, always had one eye on his wallet. And they always left him to pick up the pieces of their relationship.

"I know what you're thinking, little girl, and I'm fine," Aoshi said, looking over at me and pushing my forehead backwards with his finger.

"Mou! Why does everyone keep pushing my forehead backwards? You do know that each time you do that, I get a bit dumber, don't you? Are you all trying to make me dumber or something? Because it sure feels like it!" I said, whacking a pillow in my brother's face.

"You did not just do what I think you did," warned my brother.

I whacked the pillow in his face over and over again. Suddenly, he grabbed the pillow from me and held it threateningly over me.

"PILLOW FIGHT!"

* * *

We entered class the next day, feeling beaten. Who knew that both Akira and Aoshi actually had so much energy in them? They were already in their twenties, for goodness sake! They weren't supposed to be able to jump around so much. Instead, they were supposed to be complaining about their backs and how youngsters these days were such a rowdy bunch…or…maybe not. But still!

"Seta-san, what happened to you?" asked Izuka, one of our classmates.

"Oh, uh, I fell down the stairs," Soujiro muttered.

"And you dragged Kaoru down with you?" piped up, Beshimi, looking at my jaw.

"No! Of course I didn't!" protested Soujiro. "What do you think I am? A cow?"

"Then what happened to your face, Kaoru?" questioned Hyottoko.

"I walked into a door," I mumbled.

I could hear a few snickers around me, coming from the girls. I didn't really mind that most of the girls had not warmed up to me yet because at least, there were some people who had started to be nicer to me.

"Let me get this straight. You walked into a…door?" says Sanosuske, a new transfer student who also warmed up to me.

"Yes," I said defiantly. "I did. Anyway, I've got to get going now." I turned away from them with a roll of my eyes and headed towards my desk, stumbling a little. I dropped my books onto the table and slumped into my seat, laying my head down. That was when I saw it.

There, right next to me on the table lay a single red rose, with it's petals in full bloom. I jolted myself upright again and stared openmouthed at the rose. I racked my brain trying to figure out who could have sent me the flower. Coming up with nothing, I surveyed the classroom, carefully noting everyone's expression lest it was a prank that somebody wanted to play on me. Much to my surprise, nobody paid any attention to me. All of them had their heads bowed down and were busy with their own work, namely copying yesterday's assignment from their friends before the teacher entered the class. Could it have been Soujiro or one of his friends? I looked over in their direction raising my eyebrows at what they were doing. Nah, I concluded. It couldn't have been either one of them. I mean, guys who drew on other people's faces while they were asleep wouldn't exactly give roses to a girl. It just wasn't their style.

I fingered the petals of the roses gently. I lifted it up, only to discover, a very small slip of paper hidden underneath the petals of the rose. Filled with curiousity, I unfolded the paper and read what was inscribed on it.

Sorry. My eyes widened at what I read. Well, that narrows it down to one person didn't it? I was certain that it could not have been Tomoe because, one, as I was surveying the classroom, I had noticed that the ostrich herself was missing in action and that her seat was empty. And two, nobody knew what had happened to both Soujiro and I yesterday after school. If Tomoe was present, the whole school would have known about it by now. There was no doubt about it. It was from him.

Himura Kenshin.

* * *

I felt someone poking me in the sides.

"Go away!" I mumbled, stirring slightly so that I was in a more comfortable position.

"Kaoru, wake up! Mr. Saitou's headed this way!" muttered Soujiro frantically, jostling my arm.

I jerked my head up, all drowsiness vanishing from me immediately.

"Miss Kaoru, I see that you're sleeping in my class," said Mr. Saitou, peering at me over his spectacles which rested on his awfully large nose. "Any reason why?"

I bit my lip and bowed my head. "No, Mr. Satiou."

"Good. I expect to see you in detention class at 3 o'clock sharp today. No excuses. And you, Mr. Seta, I expect you to be there too." With that, he turned around and headed towards the front of the class again. Just then, the school bell rang signaling the end of the lesson.

"It's all your fault I'm attending detention!" grumbled Soujiro as we walked to our next class.

"Mou… I'm sorry Sou-chan. But Mr. Saitou can be such a cow sometimes. You didn't even do anything to deserve it!"

"Yeah, a cow in a shocking pink tube top and a black mini skirt!", Soujiro smiled at Kaoru's new nick name for him. Sou-chan, it sounded so childish and yet so sweet rolling off her tongue.

"With sequins all over!"

"And bright red lipstick to go with it!"

We both burst out in laughter.

"He's got a nose so large I wonder how he manages to keep his head upright!"

Soujiro looked over at me with a weird expression.

"What?"

"You are such a retard!" he answered, pushing my head to the side.

Suddenly, a group of people who were playing in the hallway accidentally knocked into me, causing me to stumble backwards and drop all my books upon the impact. As they mumbled numerous apologies, I bent down to pick up my books which were strewn all over the floor.

"Is this rose yours?" asked Soujiro feeling a slight wave of jealously as he held it out towards me.

I stared at it in dismay. Somebody had trodden over it and most of its petals had fallen off. The stalk had almost broken into two and one end of it was now hanging limply. I took the squashed rose from Soujiro.

"You didn't tell me you got a rose," said Soujiro, feigning a hurt expression.

"It was just someone's way of apologizing. No biggie," I said, poking him on the nose.

I stood up and deposited the rose into a dustbin nearby. There was no use for me to keep it anymore.

"C'mon Sou-chan! Let's go! We can't afford to be late to class and earn us another detention!" I said, dragging Soujiro behind me as we rushed to our next class.

But little did I know, that someone else had seen me throw the rose away apart from Soujiro.

And as he stared into the dustbin where the crumpled rose lay, he clenched his fists as his expression hardened and his eyes became cold and yet if one looks carefully the could see amber fire dancing.

* * *

We headed towards the cafeteria, our arms overflowing with numerous rags, sponges, and buckets, which we had managed to secure after rummaging through the supply closet.

"Oooof!" I said, heaving all the things I carried onto a nearby table. "I'll go get us some water by the pump in the back while you start sweeping the floor, ok?"

"Sure thing."

I headed out towards the water pump, swinging the bucket along in my hand. As our punishment, Mr. Saitou had instructed us to clean out the cafeteria. I had no whims about it. It was either the cafeteria or the toilets. The dirty, smelly toilets. Thinking about it made me want to hurl. As I turned the corner, I saw Kenshin smoking a cigarette, with one of his legs propped up behind him on the wall. Without thinking twice, I ran up to him.

"Hey! Thanks for the rose!" I smiled brightly.

He looked over at me coldly and I flinched inwardly. Did I miss something here? Without saying anything, he threw his cigarette to the ground, ground it out with his foot and walked away from me, leaving me to stare openmouthed after him. What was it with him? I shrugged my shoulders as I picked up his cigarette butt to deposit into a dustbin nearby before proceeding to the water pump.

"Sou-chan yah! Help me carry the bucket! It's too heavy!" I yelled, sloshing water everywhere as I walked.

After he relieved me of the bucket all the while laughing at me, I slumped into a seat nearby, trying to catch my breath. Then, I picked up a sponge, dipped it in soapy water and proceeded to wipe the tables clean.

"Kao-chan, did you happen to see that battousai just now?" asked Soujiro.

"Yeah. He was out in the back. Why do you ask? And why do you call him battousai?"

"He crossed through here just now. He looked positively dangerous. He's cold enough to match Battousai. Did you do anything to make him mad?"

"Mou! Of course not! You think I'm crazy? Making him mad is as safe as stuffing a porcupine up a bull's nose!" We both feel to the ground with laughter and yet hoping no one saw us.

He threw a wet rag in my direction. "BOO!" he said, laughing. In retaliation, I flung my soapy sponge at him, which hit him right smack in the face. He looked stunned for a second, at first I thought he was impressed with my aim but then…

"Ahhhhh! My eyes!" yelled Soujiro, frantically trying to wipe away the soap. I quickly ran towards him splashing clean water from a bucket nearby onto his face in an attempt to wash away the soap. He finally stopped his incessant whining and looked over at me, water dripping off the tip of his nose. I took a step backwards as I noted his expression and finally realized that my frantic attempts to wash away the soap from his eyes had resulted in soaking him from head to toe. A nervous laugh escaped from me.

"I'll give you three seconds to make your getaway. Three!" he yelled, chasing after me.

It wasn't necessary for him to tell me that. Not necessary at all. I was already sprinting as fast as I could away from him, trying to dodge around all the tables and chairs. Needless to say, he caught up with me. I cowered on the floor with my arms over my head.

"You wouldn't do anything to me right, Sou-chan?" I asked.

"Of course not, Kaoru! You know I would never do anything to hurt you!" he said sweetly. The moment I raised my head to look up at him, a bucket of water was thrown down upon me. My long wet midnight black hair clung on to me as my eyes probably were filled with confusion. It took me a second to regroup myself.

"Mou! You'd better not let me catch you!" I shrieked, getting up to chase after him.

* * *

**Next Chappie:** Years fly by as Kaoru will look for a job, and yet she meets them. her once perfect life is spiraling down once more as she meets THEM. that once "evil" woman will once again send Kaoru down to her pit, how? over a long period of time.

**A/N:** sorry I made soujiro wear glasses… but he only wears them sometimes, like in class and stuff. Later on he'll get contacts cuz it just doesn't look right, soujiro with gasses. for every 15 reviews i'll update a chapter, if i don't get that, then i suppose my readers will be stuck with a chapter every week or two or so.

**updatesoon**: um don't haunt me, see i updated!

**wafferlover**: thank you, if it's good i suppose i will

**wonderouzstarz**:that's good, i hoped this one wouldnt be too boring.

**aintnolove2me**: well yes, i made some OOC because i didn't know who to use as the opposing people. so i figured tomoe will do that. i was going to put Megumi, but i can't imagine kenshin ever with Megumi, unless he's drunk.

**Bradybunch4529**: Thanks for the support. so it's worth continueing?

**muchimuchi**: i can't tell you the end yet. haven't decided on it. but they were in highschool. so around 16 or so. give or take, didnt pay too much attention to that.

**Choking**-**on**-**my**-**blood**: Kaoruwill change. but not in high school. this story's going to take place more of when they are around 20

**forever** **angel**: i'm well. and yup ifi get a lot of reviews and if the readers like this story i'll update as soon as i need to.

**lili125**: i had to stop, g2 eat ;) but i will write more once i finish

**Snow** **Lepord**: i hope you won't be disappointed in where i make this story go then.

**JMai** : i hope u keep reading too. tell me if my story starts to get boring.

**kennii'smine**: Sorry can't tell u the pairings yet, because i'm not too sure. but yes soujiro got hurt.

**jodibetz** : hopefully this was soon enough for you.

**cyjj**: i'll try to update asap.

**dayof46**: well no one died. yet... i might make someone die later on. soujiro is nice in this story, but from what i could tell he was nice in the original RK story as well.


	3. Reunion

**Chapter Three  
Reunion  
**  
Days became weeks, weeks became months, which in turn became years. In the blink of an eye, six years had already passed us by. We had managed to sail through high school and university together, our friendship never wavering, even for a bit. In fact, it had only gotten stronger over the years. And in these past four years, I had always thanked my lucky stars every night for sending someone like Soujiro into my life.

Actually life became quite a bit easy after high school. Perhaps a bit easier was an underestimate. Looking back, I wasn't really pretty at all, my eyes were always dull from being harassed and to the point I don't even cared about what I looked like. Perhaps that might been one of the main reason I was an outcast there. While in college I finally developed into a woman, I was a late one but I did get there. Tokyo University, it was the best time of my life, only three of us from high school went there that I know of, Sano, Soujiro and me. No one who harassed me went there, so I was able to start new.

"Kaoru, time to wake up!" whispered my brother in my ear, nudging me with his hand.

"Five more minutes," I mumbled, diving deeper into my comforter.

"Five more minutes, and that's it, alright?" I nodded my head in reply. I could feel my bed dip a little as my brother sat down beside me, stroking my head gently. Just then, my door burst open to let in another two more people.

"Is she still asleep?" I recognized Akira's voice immediately.

"Let her sleep for a little while longer," my brother answered.

"Aish, Aoshi! You spoil her too much!" That was definitely Soujiro. Stupid cow. "Kao," Soujiro said softly.

"What?"

"Kao."

"What?"

"Nothing."'

He paused for a millisecond.

"Kao."

"What?" I asked, frustrated.

"Nothing."

"Kao." I decided to ignore him. He can go on saying my name for all I care.

"Kao." Soujiro said again, but this time followed with Aoshi and Akira. "Kao." "Kao."

"Aish! Alright! I'm up! I'm up! Now stop calling my name!" I muttered sitting up, as

everyone laughed.

"Works every time!" said Sou-chan triumphantly, throwing a fist into the air as I smacked him on the back of his head.

After I had managed to shoo them out of my room, I proceeded to go through my daily morning routine. I hesitated over what to wear for the day. Today was, after all, a very important day for me. It was my first day of job hunting! Needless to say, I was excited. I was grateful that my brother had been understanding about the whole matter after I had announced it to everyone over dinner yesterday night.

_Flashback_

"I want to find a job, elsewhere." I announced.

"Why?" he asked, as all three of them put their forks down and turned to look at me.

"You don't have to go looking for a job. You can come and work at Dad's company. Our company."

"I know. I know. But I don't want to start working at the company just yet. I want to start out on my own first. Without any strings attached." I answered.

"Why?" Akira asked.

"I don't want the workers thinking that I got the job handed to me on a silver platter just because I am the sister of the owner. That would make everyone lose their respect for not only me, but also Aoshi."

"Why? Akira worked at the company just like that too, and nobody was disrespectful towards him… or was there?" said Soujiro, earning a knock on the head from Akira.

"That was because Akira has had working experience! I'm just a freshie, and I want to prove myself to everyone that I could make it without anyone's help," I answered.

"Are you trying to imply something? After all, I am going to be working at the same company as them starting tomorrow, you know," said Soujiro, glancing sideways at me.

"Stupido! That's different! You've had experience before. Remember the time when you got to be an intern at Han Corporations? Apparently, you did so well that the manager just had to write you a recommendation letter for future reference!" I pointed out.

_End Flashback_

I managed to gain permission from my brother, after he made me promise him a number of things. Like, for example, here are just a few, over the top of my head :

1. Call him whenever I'm free.

2. Remember to eat my meals.

3. Never try to hide anything from him, especially if it is trouble at work.

4. If the people there were treating me badly, I am required to quit my job and work at our company. No excuses.

So, yeah. He may have overdone the protective brother bit, but I knew he was doing it because he cared. I decided on wearing a pair of black pants paired with a white long-sleeved collar shirt which had light pink crystals studded on the edge of the collar in fancy swirls, which I left unbuttoned at the sleeves and folded up over my black coat. I opened the door, and stepped out, doing a little twirl for them to see my outfit.

"Aren't you supposed to be wearing a skirt instead of pants?" my brother asked, walking over to my dresser to look at my vast collection on sparkly bobby hairpins.

Ever since I mentioned that I loved those kind of hairpins after receiving my very first pair as a present, they had taken it upon themselves to buy me some every time they spotted a really nice one. Being the only girl in a household of three guys does have its perks. He lifted a pair with little pink roses on it and gently clipped them onto my hair.

"Aoshi, it doesn't really matter whether I wear a skirt or not!" I told him, as Soujiro slipped a black beret over my head and Jae handed me my bag, which I slung over my shoulders.

"Anyway, I'm ready to go!"

"Breakfast first, little girl," said Akira, guiding me to the kitchen.

I hurriedly finished a blueberry muffin and downed my orange juice, then I stood up.

"Alright! I'll be leaving now!" They walked me to the front door, waited until I had pulled on my black heeled boots, then one by one, they took turns to kiss me on the forehead and wished me luck.

I stepped out into the crisp morning air, took a deep breath, crossed my fingers together and wished for the best.

* * *

I peered up at the tall glass building, one hand shielding my eyes from the glare of the morning sun.

Mitsurugi Ryu Corporations, founded by Hiko Seijuro. The name had a familiar ring to it. As I stood outside the building pondering to myself whether I should enter or not, I suddenly snapped my fingers as it came to me, earning me a few curious stares from passerby. I remembered Aoshi telling me, a long time ago, how the owner of Mitsurugi Ryu Corporations, who had now passed down the company to his heir and was now retired, had once been good friends with our father. This was my chance. Since they were good friends before, Mitsurugi Ryu Corporations was definitely not a rival company with the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Corporations! I mentally cheered to myself.

I pushed open the double glass doors and let myself in. I gaped in wonder at the sight before me. The whole place was filled with people. There were men and women in expensive business attires everywhere, some with files under their arms and some talking into their mobile phones, all looking important and purposeful. As I made my way towards the reception center, still feeling half dazed, I managed to hear snatches of other people's conversations.

"…valid assessment of the market…"

"…purchasing power parity…"

"…net foreign investment and the market for foreign currency exchange…"

"…logistical assessment…"

Oh…my…god…I am in trouble. I am in so much trouble. I don't even know half of what they were talking about! Why didn't I just take up the offer to work at Akira or my family's company? Why? Why? Why? Why did I have to go and open my big mouth and tell everyone that I wanted to prove myself first? I mentally kicked myself and it was all I could do from turning around and running straight out the double doors.

"Good morning, may I be of help to you, miss?" asked the lady behind the reception counter, smiling kindly.

"Um, yeah, I'm here to apply for the position as a junior marketing assistant. You guys posted an ad in the newspaper a few days ago," I answered, crossing my fingers behind my back, hoping against hope that it was not already filled.

"Alright, if you would just wait a few minutes while I double check about it…"

"Sure thing. Take your time," I said, gazing around at my surroundings, as she spoke into the receiver.

A few moments later, she had directed me to the thirtieth floor, where I was told that the boss himself would interview me in a few minutes. To say I was nervous was putting it mildly. I was a jumble of nerves. I settled myself onto a chair nearby and twisted my fingers over and over again. It was a bad habit of mine. Whenever I got nervous, I would twist my fingers together. I could feel my palms begin to sweat. This was a bad idea. A very, very bad idea. Just as I was about to get up and leave the place once and for all, a voice called out my name.

"Kamiya Kaoru? The boss would like to see you now."

* * *

I mentally cursed myself as I followed her through a series of long corridors before coming to a stop in front of two large wooden doors. Ooooh, nice! She knocked on the doors and led me in.

"Mr. Himura, this is Ms. Kamiya."

"Alright, thank you. You may leave now," he said. She let herself out, not before catching my eye and giving me an encouraging smile. After she had left, I kept my gaze fixed into the richly carpeted floor, shifting from one foot to another.

"Please have a seat." I made my way towards the chairs in front of his desk, shuffling my feet slowly, with my gaze still fixed on the floor. Oh no.

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no –

"Look up," he ordered. His voice was so sharp that I obediently raised my head, only to stare right into his piercing golden eyes. I blinked and shifted my gaze away. There was something about his eyes that I just could not put my finger on.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one. Going on twenty two," I answered.

"Any qualifications?"

"I have a degree in Business and Marketing from Tokyo's Business University."

"Work experience?"

"Well…" I stumbled, "none."

"The job of a junior marketing assistant is not easy. Do you think you would be able to cope with it?"

"I could always try. Besides, as long as I'm happy working here, everything would work themselves out."

"Why choose Mitsurugi Ryu Corporations?"

"Um…," I stuttered. Why Mitsurugi Ryu Corporations? Why? Why?

"…uh…because…because…because Mitsurugi Ryu Corporations is one of the most established corporation and it would be an honor for me to work for it." I gave myself a mental cheer. Yes!

"What high school were you from?"

I blinked my eyes in confusion. What kind of question was that? Nevertheless, I answered him dutifully. "Kyoto, District of Cherry Blossom High." There was a moment of silence. Then he said the four magic words.

"When can you start?"

"Anytime," I answered, breaking into a smile.

"Now?"

"Sure!"

"Yumi, please tell Ms. Yukishiro from Marketing to come up to my office," he said, speaking into the phone.

"Ms. Yukishiro is not in yet, sir," came the reply.

"Then please tell Megumi to come up."

As I sat there waiting patiently, I finally took in my surroundings. The room was really spacious and nicely furnished. Its walls were all wooden, as was the writing table. Numerous books were stacked up neatly on the bookshelf behind his seat and on the left was a glass case filled with awards and trophies, no doubt won by the corporation. To the right were couches with a glass top coffee table. Simple but nice was the only way I could think of to describe the office.

A knock was heard at the door.

"Come in," he said standing up, motioning for me to do so too. A girl in her mid twenties entered the room. She had waist length black hair which she pinned up using a diamond hair clip. Her face was lightly made up and she was dressed in a simple black sleeveless dress with a silver belt dangling at the hips. All I could think of was, wow, she's beautiful, as she made her way towards us, her heels hardly making a sound on the carpet.

"Good morning, Mr. Himura," she greeted, bowing slightly.

"Morning. Megumi, this is Kaoru. Kaoru, Megumi. From now onwards, Kaoru will be working as a junior marketing assistant here. Can you please show her around the place and introduce her to everyone?" he asked.

"Sure, Mr. Himura," Megumi answered smiling at me, as she led me out of the room. Just as we were about to reach the doors, I swiveled around to face him again.

"I'm sorry, sir, it's none of my business but are you by any chance on bad terms with Ki Kasshin Ryu Corporations?"

"Kasshin Ryu Corporations owned by Kamiya Aoshi?" he asked, furrowing his brows.

"Yeah! Yeah, that's the one!"

"No, we're on pretty good terms with them. In fact, we've done numerous joint ventures with them."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, sir," I replied, bowing my head slightly before exiting the room.

He lowered himself back onto his chair and stared at the door which they had gone through as he thought to himself. It's been six years, Kaoru. Six long years and you haven't changed a bit. Don't you recognize me? Most importantly, don't you remember me?

* * *

After Megumi had showed me around the place and got me acquainted with everyone else, I headed towards my desk and whipped out my cell phone. I dialed Aoshi number and waited patiently as it rang a few times before he finally picked up.

"Aoshi-sama! I got it! I got it! I got a job!" I cried gleefully into the phone.

"You did? Where?" yelled Akira, equally excited.

"Mitsurugi Ryu Corporations!" In the background, I could hear Soujiro and Akira yelling at my brother, asking him whether it was me on the phone and whether I had gotten a job. I could hear scuffles going on, and it was a while before someone got back on the line.

"Kao-chan! You got a job! See, I told you, you could do it!" yelled Soujiro before the phone was snatched away from him.

"Kaoru! Congratulations! What are you working as?" Akira asked.

I could hear my brother threatening them in the background. Then he said, "Kaoru? You still there?"

"Yeah! I'm still here. Anyway, I'm working at the Mitsurugi Ryu Corporation as a junior marketing assistant. I know it's not much but it's a start!"

"Mitsurugi Ryu Corporation? Previously owned by Hiko Seijiro but now taken over by his son?"

"Yeah! That's the one! And I know he's not a rival of the Kasshin Ryu Corporations because he mentioned that both of you guys have done numerous joint ventures!"

"Um-hmm. Anyway, when's your lunch break?"

"Around 12.30. Why?"

"We're coming over to pick you up for lunch. Hold on, Soujiro wants to speak with you."

"Kao! If you look into your bag, you'll see a little tupperware filled chocolate chip cookies. Eat it if you feel hungry or whenever you have one of those mini breaks, ok?"

I ruffled through my bag and sure enough, there was a tupperware. "When did you put it in there?" I asked.

"When you weren't looking. Duh," retorted Soujiro.

"Aish! Thanks loads. You're the bestest! Anyway, I need to go now. Wouldn't want to be caught slacking on the job during my first day. See you guys at lunch!" With that, I hung up, popped a cookie into my mouth and started to do my work.

Half an hour later, Megumi came over to my cubicle to check up on how I was doing.

"Oh, and Ms. Yukishiro would like to see you now in her office. She's the Head of the Marketing Department."

"Do you know why she wants to see me?" I asked Megumi, twisting my fingers again.

"Don't worry, it's probably nothing."

Megumi showed me to Ms. Yukishiro's office and gently patted me on the shoulder. I took a deep breath, knocked on the door and entered.

"Good morning, Ms. Yukishiro," I said politely, bowing slightly.

"Good morning. Have a seat," she said, gesturing towards the chairs in front of her. As I made my way towards them, I lifted my head to look at her and immediately froze in my tracks.

"Tomoe? Yukishiro Tomoe?"

* * *

A/N: sorry this chapter was so short. i'll get a better one next chapter. and i wanted to focus their lives right after college, where the relationship are more serious so i can put more drama into it... i hope u don't mind i skipped a lot of their high school life. the high school life was just an intro to show the relationships.

Next chapter: Recognition... seems like they all remember each other, Kaoru hasn't forgotten kenshin, (in a bitter way) neither has tomoe. Tomoe and Kaoru, with Kenshin in the middle


	4. Recognition

A/N: sorry i couldn;t update lately. too busy. my bad my bad. drama will come very soon, so stay with me.

* * *

Last Chapter: 

"Good morning, Ms. Yukishiro," I said politely, bowing slightly.

"Good morning. Have a seat," she said, gesturing towards the chairs in front of her. As I made my way towards them, I lifted my head to look at her and immediately froze in my tracks.

"Tomoe? Yukishiro Tomoe?"

Tomoe looked up at me in surprise. "Do I know you?"

* * *

**Chapter 4  
Recognition**

"Um…I'm Kamiya Kaoru. We went to the same high school together," I answered.  
She looked at me cluelessly for a few seconds. Then, as recognition finally dawned on her, her face contorted into a disgusted look as she assessed me from head to toe, making me feel like a rare bug. Why didn't I dress more nicely? Why? Why? Why? She was wearing a cream colored sleeveless dress, with a gold studded butterfly on the side, which looked extremely glamorous on her. I probably looked like a 16-year-old kid standing next to her. 

"What are you doing here?" she spat.

I stared disbelievingly at her. Funny how one could change from nice to evil in the blink of eye. This is just further prove that looks aren't everything. That stupid hippo.

"I'm your new junior marketing assistant. Didn't anybody tell you that?"

"Who hired you?" she sneered.

"Mr. Himura," I answered triumphantly. Hah! He's the boss of the company, so that means the hippo can't fire me for no apparent reason. I smirked to myself.

"He hired you? Out of all the people who have applied for the job, he hired YOU? I've seen far better candidates. What does he see in you?"

Okaaaay. That was uncalled for. I didn't even do anything to her! That jerk, still snobby as ever.

"Hey! What is it with you? You haven't even seen any of my work yet. You don't have the right to judge me just like that. Besides, I think you should respect your superior's decision to hire me."

She looked over at me and sneered. I swear, if she keeps that up, her face would probably stay like that.

"I don't need to see your work to judge you. I can already tell." My jaw dropped.

"Besides, Mr. Himura probably hired you because you were a high school classmate. He probably pitied you."

"Look, I wasn't that desperate to get this job alright? It's not like this is the only company…wait…what did you just say? Mr. Himura went to the same high school as us?"

She gave me an amused look and raised an eyebrow. "I thought he interviewed you. Didn't you recognize him? Or were you just lying about meeting him?"

"I didn't lie about it. You can always double check with him or Megumi," I answered hotly.

"Oh, then how come you don't recognize him? He was pretty popular back in high school you know." She stared straight into my eyes. "And if I'm not mistaken, he was the one who gave you that punch in the jaw. Pretty memorable moment that was. I don't think I will ever forget that."

My heart sank as I processed what she had just said in my mind. He was the one who gave you that punch in the jaw.

That punch in the jaw. Himura Kenshin.

No wonder he looked so familiar. Or, at least his eyes did. Anger bubbled inside me as something else that Tomoe said flashed through my mind.

He probably hired you because you were a high school classmate.

He probably pitied you.

Well, you know what? I don't need his pity. He can keep his goddamn pity. And I am going to show him just that.

* * *

"Is Mr. Himura in?" I asked his secretary, Yumi. 

"Yes, he is. May I do something for you?" she asked. Without listening any further to what she had to say, I stormed towards his room. "Ms. Kamiya! You can't do that! You can't just barge into…"

I pushed open his doors without even bothering to knock. Hah! That got his attention didn't it? He looked up at me with surprise etched all over his features. I headed towards the front of his desk, propped both my hands on the table and said very sharply, "What do you mean by all this?"

"Mr. Himura, she just ---"

"It's alright, Yumi. Everything's fine," he cut her off. After Yumi had left the room, he stood up so that he was level with me, and looked at me with a cold expression. "Don't you know how to knock?"

"Don't change the topic. I asked you a question, and you still haven't answered me."

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that is the way an employee talks to her employer. And if you didn't know by now, everyone here addresses me as Mr. Himura, and you are no exception."

"Oh, that's pretty good to know. For a while back there, I was wondering whether you preferred to be addressed as Mr. Himura, or Himura Kenshin," I answered sarcastically.

He turned his head sharply to look at me. "So you knew who I was all along."

"Frankly, no, I didn't. So don't flatter yourself. I only knew who you really were after Tomoe called me up to her office to see her. You do remember Tomoe, don't you?" I scoffed at him, how cocky can he get?

He took a long look at me. "What did you come here for?"

"I was just talking to Tomoe, your awfully friendly Head of Marketing Department and I was wondering, did you hire me because you pitied me? Because you felt sorry for me? Because if that is the reason, let me tell you this. I don't need yours or anyone's pity. I can manage pretty well on my own and I am going to show you just that. And if you want to fire me after this incident, just go ahead and do it. Your company is not the only company that needs new workers." With that, I turned around and stalked out of his office without turning to look back even once.

Kenshin looked at Kaoru's retreating back and he didn't even flinch when she slammed the door. Then, he picked up his phone and pressed a button which connected him with his secretary.

"Yumi, tell Ms. Yukishiro to come up to my office right now."

It was a few minutes before a soft knock was heard at the door and Yumi led Tomoe into his office. Without hesitating, she crossed the room and sat down on the sofa.

"You wanted to see me, Kenshi?" she asked, looking at her nails.

He made his way towards her and sat down opposite her. "What did you say to Kaoru?"

At the mention of her name, Tomoe's head snapped up, her blood boiling, her again. 'Why is it always here? Can't he just forget her? God, fate must hate me, just when I thought I had a chance to snatch Kenshin again, Kaoru shows up, damnit.'

"What do you mean? Did she come to look for you?" she asked innocently.

"That, is none of your business. I just wanted to tell you to leave her alone."

"Why the sudden change of heart, Kenshin?" Suddenly, her voice became icy as her eyes were reduced to slits. "It's her isn't it? She's the reason why you broke up with me, isn't it Kenshin? Don't try to deny it."

He was silent for a moment. "Drop the matter, Tomoe. It was over between us a long time ago. And just leave Kaoru alone. Or else."

"Or else what? What are you going to do to me if I don't listen to you? Are you going to hit me? Like what you did to Kaoru four years ago? Are you going to punch me in the jaw too?"

He stood up and leaned over her. "Don't try to do anything I wouldn't do, Tomoe. You don't want to mess with me." Then he gestured towards the door. "You may leave now," he said coldly.

* * *

"Kaoru!" hollered Misao from across the office. "A group of us will be eating lunch together. Want to join us?" 

"I would love to join you guys, but I can't make it today!" I hollered back, cupping my hands around my mouth. "I promised my brother, my cousin and my best friend that I would have lunch with them today! Maybe next time?"

"Tomorrow! Your treat!" came the reply.

"Alright!" I laughed.

I was beginning to like these guys. Not only were they welcoming and totally nice, they were also a wacky bunch of people. Perfect for me. But I may have to leave them very soon, knowing that I'd probably get fired after doing that stint earlier. My heart sank a little at the thought of it.

"Kaoru, is your brother or anyone of them that you are meeting for lunch, cute?" whispered Misao, poking me in the sides as we all headed into the elevator together.

"Misao!" everyone yelled.

"What? I was just curious!" she muttered as everyone laughed at her.

"What do you think?" I teased.

We all split into different groups at the entrance of the building. I craned my neck to try and spot the familiar silver sports convertible that my brother drove, only to find it parked a few feet in front of me. Soujiro was leaning against it with his hands in his pockets and his gaze fixed downwards. "Sou-chan!" I yelled, running over to him and giving him a big hug.

"Whoa, little girl," he said after I had released him, "you missed me that much, huh?"

I pushed his head backwards. "Where's Aoshi and Akira?" I asked, leaning against the car next to him. He looked exceptionally good in his black business suit which only set off his chiseled features more. His rimless spectacles made him look more intellectual and his streaked hair made him look a bit rugged.

"They went to get something from a store nearby. So how is your first day at work?"

"It's great! I have the wackiest colleagues that you could ever find. They were really really really nice and welcoming and I've managed to get along with almost everyone at the office! Oh, which reminds me, you wouldn't believe who is the Head of the Marketing Department and the owner of this corporation," I said, all in one breath.

"Who? Anyone I know?" he asked, putting an arm around my shoulders and looking down at me.

"Yeah! Try and guess!"

"Yukishiro Tomoe and Himura Kenshin from high school?" he replied, looking into the distance.

"How did you know?"

I asked, looking up at him in surprise. He nodded his head towards the entrance of the building and I followed his gaze. Both of them were walking together side by side, probably headed out for lunch together. Obviously, they were still an item. Just then, Kenshin spotted us and made his way towards us with Tomoe in tow.

Or that was what I thought.

The red sports car parked behind us bleeped, indicating that it was open. I bowed my head slightly as they both passed us by, and Soujiro squeezed my shoulder lightly. When I raised my head again to look at them, I noticed Tomoe giving me a victorious glance before they zoomed off. What is it with her?

"Hey! Sorry we're late! Were you waiting for us very long?" said Akira, gasping for breath, as he ran towards us and handed me a plastic bag.

"No. Don't worry about it. I had Soujiro to keep me company. Anyway, what's this?" I said, peering into the plastic bag. To my delight, I found a strawberry smoothie inside it.

"Strawberry smoothie!" I exclaimed, giving Akira a big hug. "You guys went out of your way just to buy me this?"

Akira ruffled my hair. "We didn't only buy you that," he said with a gleam in his eyes.

"Then?"

"It's a surprise!" yelled Aoshi from his car.

"A surprise?" My eyes widened at the thought of it. "Awww, come on! You can tell me!"

I said jumping up and down.

Akira opened the car door, motioning for me to enter. "You'll know about it in a week. So be patient! And, there is no point trying to weasel it out of us because we're not going to tell you anything. Oh," he adds as an afterthought, "don't try to torture Soujiro into telling you what it is, because he doesn't know either!"

I groaned as all three of them laughed. They've meticulously planned this all out, haven't they? I leaned back in my chair huffily.

"Cheer up, Kao," says Akira. "I'll let you pick what we're having for lunch!"

"Really? I can choose anything?" I asked, feeling myself brighten up.

"Yup! Anything you want!"

It took me a few seconds to make up my mind. "Japanese food!" I yelled.

* * *

Kenshin weaved his car expertly in and out of traffic, maintaining his speed at a constant 100 mph. He hardly spoke a single word ever since that encounter with Kaoru and Soujiro outside the building. Questions that remain unanswered kept pounding in his head. 

"They looked pretty chummy back there, didn't they?" said Tomoe calmly, knowing that she had hit her mark when Kenshin increased the pressure on the accelerator, raising it to a 120 mph.

"There's no point getting tied up in bunches over it. You knew it yourself. She and Soujiro had been good friends ever since he entered the high school. Didn't you think that they-–" She halted in mid-sentence when Kenshin suddenly stepped on the brakes, causing the car to screech to a stop, narrowly missing the van in front by a few inches. He banged his fists on the steering wheel and muttered a curse under his breath.

"Look, Tomoe, I'm not in the mood to talk about it right now. So just drop it," he said icily, stepping on the accelerator again.

"No, you listen to me!" she said, raising her voice and turning in her seat to face him.

"Stop hoping that she would actually come to you on her own, without any reserves. You and I both know that she would never do that. Never in a million years. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if both she and Soujiro were an item. Tell me, what have you ever done to make her happy? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Back in high school, you've never given her any respect, going around calling her a freak and also given her a punch to the jaw. Do you remember that incident, Kenshin? Do you? Soujiro, on the other hand, has respected her, come to her defense every single time she was in trouble and most importantly, he has always been there for her. Always. What makes you think you can beat that, huh, Kenshin? Your money? Your looks? Stop living in your fantasy world and face reality," she snapped. "Let's face it, she'll never forget what you did to her in high school after that punch. Nobody's that forgiving. Especially not a woman."

She got out of the car and slammed it shut behind her, not bothering to wait for him as she entered the restaurant. Kenshin sat in the car, staring straight at absolutely nothing.

What Tomoe said had struck a nerve inside him and anger and frustration began to bubble inside him. Finding nothing to vent his anger on, he banged his fists once again onto the steering wheel before getting out of the car. He lit a cigarette and leaned against the car, inhaling deeply, then exhaling again. He did this continuously for a few more times before throwing the cigarette down and grounding it out with his shoe. Then, taking a deep breath he entered the restaurant, only to be confronted by the sight of Kaoru sitting at a table with a group of people, laughing up at Seta Soujiro.

* * *

A/N: ah this chapter is kinda boring, I'll update very soon to make it up to u readers, just too busy lately. and still dont have enough to reply to my readers i'm sorry but i do greatly appriciate your support. 

next chappie: Tomoe's first scheme against kaoru, and what luck..., just on Kaoru's bday.


	5. Hatred I

Disclaimer: this is the last time i'm writing this, so sue me, i don't own RK nor main plot, parts are heavily edited.

Last Chapter:

He lit a cigarette and leaned against the car, inhaling deeply, then exhaling again. He did this continuously for a few more times before throwing the cigarette down and grounding it out with his shoe. Then, taking a deep breath he entered the restaurant, only to be confronted by the sight of Kaoru sitting at a table with a group of people, laughing up at Seta Soujiro.

* * *

**Chapter 5  
HatredHarshness I  
**

I glanced up when I heard the bell ringing over the door and my laughter immediately died down when I saw Kenshin standing in the doorway, his icy gaze fixed on me. Sensing something amiss, Soujiro, who was seated next to me raised his head and followed my gaze to where Kenshin stood.

"Mr. Himura." I stood up and slightly bowed my head in greeting when he crossed our table. Not surprisingly, he brushed past me, his shoulder knocking against mine, without even looking up. Okay, I pretty much expected that. You can't expect him to be all goody goody and nice after what I did today.

"Still haven't lost his attitude from back in high school, huh?" Soujiro remarked.

"Who is that?" asked Tae, shooting curious glances at Minwoo.

"My boss," I replied glumly.

"Oh? That's the President of Mitsurugi Ryu Corporations?" asked Akira, sneaking another glance at him then turning back to look at me suspiciously. "And he doesn't get along very well with his workers, does he?"

"What? Why are you looking at me like that? Oh no, if you're thinking what I think that you're thinking, forget it. I didn't do anything to him! Honest!" Okay, so I lied. But they don't really have to know about my stint, do they?

"What did you mean when you said from back in high school, Soujiro?" Aoshi asked.

"Oh, that. We used to go to the same high school but we never really got along," answered Soujiro, shrugging his shoulders.

"And how come I've never heard of anything like this before?" asked Akira, putting down his chopsticks and looking at the both of us. "If I remember correctly, every time I asked, the both of you would often tell me that I worried too much and that you guys were getting along with EVERYONE in school."

I winced. Uh-oh.

"Well, when I meant that we never really got along…it was in the sense that…that we…um…" stumbled Soujiro.

"That we just didn't click together. Like we didn't share the same interest and…um…sports…and…uh…" I trailed off, shooting Soujiro a desperate look.

"And…and…yeah! That's about it. We just didn't, you know, click," finished Soujiro, lamely.

"Okaaaaaay. Well, that's not surprising. I mean, the both of you were pretty rotten people back then."

"Hey!" Soujiro and I yelled simultaneously. "Okay, so maybe we were just a little hard to handle, but that doesn't mean we were rotten, right Sou-chan?" I said, turning to him for confirmation.

"Right!" he answered, nodding his head.

"Just a little hard to handle? That, has got to be the understatement of the year," retorted Aoshi, turning in his seat to face Akira. "Remember the time when they came home with bruises all over after getting beaten up?"

"We weren't beaten up! We…we…just got caught up in a fight!" I said.

"Oh yeah! And there was this other time when the principal called up and said that instead of them helping to clean up the cafeteria as a detention punishment, they had managed to turn the whole cafeteria into a…what was the word that he used?" said Akira, ignoring us.

"A soapy battlefield," answered Aoshi.

"Ah yes, a soapy battlefield," repeated Akira.

"That was totally out of our control! You see, Sou-chan started it by throwing this really wet ra—"

"And then there was the time when he called up again to complain about both their behaviors in school…for going around and drawing on other people's faces while they were asleep!" Aoshi said, cutting me off.

"And also for starting a paint fight in the art room!" chimed in Akira.

"And throwing scrunched up paper balls at their history teacher."

"Mou! It wasn't intentional! It was actually meant for Sanosu—"

"And stuffing frogs in that girl's bag…what's her name again?" asked Akira.

"Tomoe," replied Aoshi.

This time, it was Soujiro's turn to defend us. "She deserved it. You wouldn't believe what she was like back then. She was this really really rott—"

"And blowing up the Chemistry lab."

"And messing with the lightings for the yearly concert."

"And cutting up th—"Akira stopped in mid-sentence as I stuffed a piece of salmon sushi into his mouth.

"Eat," I ordered, "and don't talk." I took a look at his shocked expression and burst into laughter, followed shortly by Aoshi and Soujiro.

"Mmmmph bmmmph rumphhh drumphhh" replied Akira, shooting daggers at me as I smiled back innocently.

All throughout lunch, Kenshin's golden eyes and attention were focused on their table. Noting how close both Kaoru and Soujiro were, noting how she always laughed at his jokes, noting how they always defended each other, just plainly noting their closeness. And as he continued looking at them out of the corners of his eyes, he clenched his fists tightly under the table when he felt a sharp pain in his heart.

* * *

"Morning! Guess what day today is?" I said, rubbing my hands gleefully as I sat down next to Akira and took a sip of my orange juice. There was a flurry of activity as he folded up his newspaper, Aoshi closed his file and Soujiro closed his laptop. 

"What?" they all said in unison.

I blinked my eyes a few times. "You mean, you guys don't know?" I said, my heart sinking. They looked at one another blankly. "Okay, let's put it this way. What month is it now?"

"April," they answered, promptly.

"And what date is it today?"

"16th."

"So, doesn't April 16th ring a bell?" I asked, crossing my fingers under the table for luck.

To my delight, Soujiro's face lighted up and he snapped his fingers.

"I know! Today's our big meeting with the Sagara Corporations!"

"Oh! I totally forgot about it!" exclaimed Akira, hitting his forehead. "Thanks for reminding us, Kao. We would have screwed up the deal if it weren't for you," he said, standing up and kissing me on the forehead. "Ready to go?"

I nodded my head and plastered a smile onto my face to cover up my disappointment.

They totally forgot about my birthday! Those cows. I exhaled a dejected sigh as I went to put on my shoes. On the way to work, the prospect of their new deal were the only topic of conversation. I nodded my head at intervals, not really listening to what they were saying.

Just as I was about to enter the building, Akira yelled, "Kao! Come home early tonight so that we can all have dinner together alright?"

"Sure thing!" I yelled back, feeling my spirits lift. Maybe they haven't forgotten about it after all. Maybe they just wanted to surprise me tonight! I entered the office with a smile on my face.

"Why the happy face?" asked Misao, poking me in the sides and giving me a smile.

"Nothing that you should know about!" I replied, laughing as he pushed my head to the side.

"Alright everybody! Settle down and listen up!" came Tomoe's voice. "As you all already know, the company has decided to branch out and a new range of soft drinks have just been launched into the market. What I want you all to do is to create an eye-catching advertisement to promote the soft drinks. All assignments have to be handed in to me before you leave the office. So get started on it!"

Groans and murmurs were heard collectively from around the office. I rested my chin on my hands and tapped my blue pen on the tabletop. This was my very first assignment and I wanted it to be good. I wanted to prove to Kenshin that his decision to let me stay at the corporation was a wise one and to Tomoe that I could produce good work just like everybody else. As I sat looking at everybody hard at work, inspiration suddenly struck me and I quickly pulled out a sheet of paper and began drawing on it, putting my idea onto paper. I was so absorbed with my work that I skipped lunch, conveniently breaking one of my promises to Akira. But he didn't need to know about it. By 4:30, I had finished my advertisement. I stretched my back and got up to get a cup of coffee from the coffee machine, stopping at some tables on the way to admire their work.

We all piled into Tomoe's office together, commenting on each other's work. As I placed my advertisement on her desk, everyone kept quiet, waiting for her response. I crossed my fingers behind my back for luck.

Then, after an excruciatingly long moment, she looked up at me and said, "What kind of rubbish is this?"

* * *

My jaw dropped open in disbelief. "Wh—What do you mean?" 

"You call this work? It's not even up to standard! Look at the drawings! Look at the colors! This looks like the work of a 12-year-old! What were you thinking? That you were just completing an assignment for a high school project?"

"Um, Ms. Yukishiro, I think her work is better than most of ours," said Misao, as everyone else nodded their heads in silent agreement.

"Yeah, hers is different. Special in a way and it gets the message across," quipped Shishio giving me a smile.

"Did I ask for any of your opinions?" she lashed out. "You," she said jabbing her finger at me. "I want you to redo this advertisement. And you may not leave the office until it's on my desk. Get it?" I nodded my head numbly as I exited her room.

"Hey, are you alright?" asked Okina, running up beside me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry," I answered, giving him a feeble smile.

At 5 o'clock, everyone began packing up to leave the office.

"Need any help, Kaoru? I could always stay and help you out," offered Misao, her bright emerald green eyes shinning at me.

"Nah, it's alright. I can handle it. Thanks anyway. Go out and enjoy your night," I answered.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Alright then, take care ok?" She said, patting me on the shoulder.

"Sure thing. You too," I smiled.

A few moments later, Tomoe came out of her office, ready to leave.

"Don't even think of trying to get off early, Kaoru. You'll be in trouble for disobeying my orders. And," she said, pointing around the office, "remember to off all the lights and lock up when you're done."

She strode out of the office without even giving me another glance. I knew it was already no use trying to plead with her to let me hand it in tomorrow, so I whipped out my phone and dialed Aoshi's number to tell him that I couldn't make it for dinner.

"Why?" he asked in a worried tone.

"It's nothing, Aoshi. I just have to stay to complete some work. I'll see you when I get home alright? Bye!" I said, clicking my phone shut.

By 9.30, tears of frustration began to prick my eyes. Wads and wads of scrunched up paper balls lay beside me, all over the tabletop and floor. As I brushed the tears away carelessly, a dark shadow loomed over me. Immediately, I jerked my head up only to look into a set of deep amber eyes.

"Mr. Himura," I mumbled, quickly standing up and giving him a slight bow, all the while looking down and praying that he did not see my tears. He'll probably think that I'm a wimp!

"What are you doing here?" came his monotonous reply.

"Um, Ms. Yukishiro said my work wasn't satisfactory enough so I had to stay back and redo it."

He furrowed his brows and said, "Alright then. Continue with your work."

Just as he was about to turn and walk away I tapped him on the shoulder and immediately let go when I saw his cold expression. "I was just wondering whether you needed any help getting anything."

"No. I'll be fine." With that he turned around again and headed towards Tomoe's office as I sat down once more to resume my work. We continued minding our own business until suddenly, the electric power got cut off, leaving the both of us in total darkness. A few minutes later, I heard the sound of glass breaking and Kenshin muttering a curse.

I got out of my seat and made my way towards Tomoe's office, groping around in the darkness.

"Mr. Himura?" I called out tentatively. "Are you all right?"

When he failed to answer me back, I quickened my pace, taking my cell phone out of my coat pocket and gripping it tightly in my hand, just in case I needed to use it as a weapon. I mean, you never know what's lurking out there in the dark, right? Like say, what if it was an intruder who had managed to creep up behind Kenshin when he wasn't looking and smashed a glass onto his head to knock him out? Or maybe there was a homosexual rapist who had an obsession with him?

I entered Tomoe's office and with the help of a shaft of moonlight streaming in through one of the windows, I managed to locate Kenshin, who was kneeling on the floor with his back to me. No intruder. No homosexual rapist. I breathed a sigh of relief as I made my way towards him slowly. As I began to near him, I noticed that there were shards of glasses littered everywhere beside him but what shocked me the most was the fact that his left hand was covered in blood, a large shard of glass still embedded in his flesh.

"Oh my God," I breathed, running over to him and taking his hand in mine so that I could take a better look at it. "What happened?"

"I accidentally knocked over a glass plaque when the lights went out," he replied, wincing slightly.

"Hold on," I said, getting to my feet, "I'll go get the first aid kit."

"Wait," he called out, handing me his cigarette lighter. "Use this. It's not much but at least you'll be able to make your way across the office without knocking into chairs and banging into tables."

"Thanks," I said, reaching out for the lighter. The moment our fingers touched, I felt a tingling sensation shoot through my arm and spread to my entire being. Not wanting him to suspect anything was amiss, I grabbed the lighter from him and headed out the door, deep in thought.

Kenshin looked at her retreating back in silence, also deep in thought. The beeping of her cell phone nearby which indicated that she had just received a message jolted him out of his reverie. He took a long look at the phone's blinking screen, debating whether he should read it or not. Curiousity got the best of him and he lifted the phone up which lay on the floor amidst the numerous shards of glasses and flipped it open.

Dear Kaoru, it's your aunt here! I dropped by your house earlier only to have Akira tell me that you were not back from work yet. It's such a pity as I was really looking forward to seeing you today. Anyway, I've left your present in your room. You didn't think I'd actually forget, did you? Give me a call, or better yet, drop by and visit me whenever you have the time okay? Oh, and before I forget, happy birthday, dear. Miss you loads!

Before he could flip the phone shut again, a voice in the doorway made the blood drain from his face.

"What are you doing?"

* * *

He turned his head around to look at me. "Your phone kind of beeped while you were gone so I picked it up for you, only to find out later that it was actually a message alert. Sorry," he said, handing my phone back to me. 

"Don't worry about it." I gave him a smile, motioning for him to sit on the couch nearby.

"Um, anyway," I said, biting my bottom lip, "do you think you could pull out that shard of glass that's sticking out of your flesh? On your own? I can't bring myself to do it."

"Sure," he says, calmly reaching for the shard of glass and carefully dislodging it from his palm.

I flinched when I saw what he was doing and looked up at him to see how he was taking it. His face was a mask of concentration, and I was surprised to find that not even a flicker of pain was etched onto his features. Doesn't it hurt at all? I turned my head away from the sight in front of me. His hand was a bloodied mess and the more the shard was being pulled out, the more blood spilled from his wound. Yet, his face remained determinedly cool. Redness completely devoured his hand as soon as he completely removed that shard. He didn't wince, I did for him, it looked so painful, I don't understand how he could stand it, and pulling at it so slowly and steadily.

"This might sting a bit," I told him, carefully cleaning the blood with a cotton ball dabbed with some antiseptic.

It stung like hell but I was adamant not to show it. To show pain would mean that he was showing weakness. And weakness is one thing that Himura Kenshin can never show. Not to her. Not to anyone. So, to get his mind off the pain, he focused on her.

Kenshin's POV:

Her long hair fell about her, hiding most of her face as she pored over my wound, but I noticed that she had caught her bottom lip between her teeth and was clenching the pink flesh so hard I was sure it was beginning to hurt.

"Oh no, there isn't any more bandage in here!" She said rummaging through the first aid kit, then turning to face him. "What do we do now?"

"It'll be fine without any bandages. I'll just get it wrapped up later or something," I replied, inspecting the wound.

"No! Hold on, I know what we'll do!" She said, untying her cream scarf from around her soft white neck reflecting from the moonlight.

Kaoru's POV:

"No." The 'no' was refined, chiseled to perfection. A firm no.

"Don't be stupid. It'll get infected if it's not bandaged. This will just have to do for the time being until you get a proper bandage," I said, pulling his hand back towards me and wrapping it up deftly. For a moment, both of us were silent.

"Thanks," he says gruffly. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Since when has Kenshin ever thanked anyone? Never.

"It's no biggie." I gave him a smile, then mentally kicked myself.

What was I thinking? He probably couldn't see it anyway. We were still in the dark, for God's sake.

Just then, the lights came back on. Mou! Me and my big mouth.

As I caught a glimpse of the time on the wall clock, I immediately jumped up from the couch. 10.30? I've wasted a whole hour just tending to his wound? I let out a frustrated sigh, and brushed my fingers through my hair. At this rate, I would probably have to sleep in the office tonight. And that was not what I had in mind to do on my birthday.

"If you may excuse me, Mr. Himura, I need to complete my work." I hastily exited the room, not waiting to hear his reply.

"Kaoru!" he called out after me. "Can you please come back in here for a moment?" I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

"Do you need any help, sir?" I asked, as politely as I could.

"Which one of these advertisement is yours?" he asked, pointing to the numerous cardboards stacked in one corner. "I want to see it."

I rummaged through all the cardboards, one by one, finally coming across a familiar picture. I pulled my cardboard out from the pile and handed it over to him. He looked at it thoughtfully, taking in the colors and the pictures. Then he looked up at me, gave me a long look and said, "You may leave now. I'll explain to Tomoe about this in the morning."

I widened my eyes in shock. No way was he going to speak to Tomoe about it, or about anything for that matter! He'll only worsen things between the both of us. As if things weren't going bad enough already. But he didn't need to know that. Nope.

"Oh, it's alright, Mr. Himura. I mean, I understand fully why Ms. Yukishiro insisted that I redo it. The pictures aren't even up to standard, the colors are an awful combination and the ca—"

"Did Ms. Yukishiro say that about your work?" he asked, sharply.

"N—no…I just thought that it wa—"

"Well, you thought wrong. You may pack up and leave. No excuses." With that, he turned his back on me and continued to study my work.

I stared at him in disbelief. He is a complete cow. I swear. One minute he's nice and the next, he's mean. What is it with him? PMS? I grumbled to myself as I headed out of the office. No doubt Tomoe's going to be all mean and bossy to me tomorrow. I flagged down a cab and looked at the time. 15 minutes to 11 o'clock. Which means that by the time I reach home, I'll still be able to celebrate my birthday with the guys. Oh, and I'll be able to know what my surprise is! Finally! I felt my spirits lift at the thought of what lay in store for me. After all that I had gone through today, I deserve it.

Kenshin looked at her work in surprise, tracing his hand over her drawings and admiring the blend of colors. He had never thought Kaoru was capable of doing something like this. Purple shades finally made its way to his eyes for the first time, but that was pushed out of the way as his expression hardened immediately when he thought of what Tomoe had said about her work. Although Kaoru had denied it, he knew. He knew that Tomoe had said all those hurtful remarks about her work. He wasn't surprised though. He saw it coming. Ever since that day at the restaurant, he knew Tomoe wasn't going to go easy on her.

He exited the office and just as he was about to switch off all the lights, he caught sight of the cream scarf that was wrapped around his palm. With a jolt, he realized what he had forgotten to do. Or rather, say.

He had forgotten to wish Kaoru a happy birthday.

* * *

**Next chappie:** At midnight did kaoru make it home enough to have dinner with her family on her bday because she couldn't leave earlier due to Tomoe's cruelness? And will the guys hurt her more forgetting her bday. 

**A/N:** Hey readers, please please pleaseeeeeeeeeeee answer this… would u prefer me to update more often with shorter ones or update only once a week with longer ones like this one? Also do you want me to reply to your reviews? I know some people think that review reply is useless, so if you prefer not to see half a page of review reply tell me.

Sorry took such long time. I wrote the next chapter as well because they tied together and I some major writer's block.


	6. Birthday

**Chapter 6  
Bday**

* * *

I paid my taxi fare, bid the driver good night and stepped out of the taxi, giving him a little wave as he drove away. Then, leaning against the wall, I rang the doorbell and waited for Tae-san's familiar voice through the intercom.

"Tae-san! Kaoru here!"

I let myself through the now open gate and just as I was digging through my bag for my keys, the front doors swung open. I looked up to see Tae-san standing in the doorway, now a little breathless.

"Mou, Tae-san! I can open the doors on my own next time. You don't have to waste your breath and run around the house, just to open it for me," I said, giving her a huge hug.

"By the way, where are the guys?"

"Out in the back," she answered, her eyes twinkling.

* * *

I pushed open the French doors that led to the backyard. The Tae-san is such a liar!

Nobody would sit out here in the dark! Just as I was about to turn around to go indoors again, the whole place lighted up, almost magically. My mouth dropped open in disbelief as I stood there, stunned at the sight that greeted me.

"Wow," I breathed.

Rose petals covered almost every inch of the grass. Pink and white ribbons spiraled around the pillars nearby. In the center, a lighted birthday cake sat on top of a garden table. Just then, a display of fireworks erupted in the sky above me. As I stood there, mesmerized by the many colors and patterns of the fireworks, Aoshi, Akira and Soujiro joined me by my side.

"Surprise!"

I looked up at them, too happy for words. Then, I gave each of them a big hug. "Thank you sooooooo much!"

"So, does this mean that you like it?" Aoshi asked softly, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"Like it? I love it," I said, grinning up at them. "But you guys shouldn't have done it. All the trouble that you guys had to go through just to set all this up…it's just not worth it."

"Who says?" asked Soujiro.

"Exactly. Of course it's worth it," piped up Akira.

"Yup. Anything for my little sister," said Aoshi, kissing my forehead.

"Which reminds me, why did you guys have to play such a rotten trick on me this morning by pretending that you all couldn't remember it was my birthday?" I asked, punching Aoshi's arm.

"It would spoil the whole surprise if we didn't do it. Besides, the look on your face this morning was worth all the trouble. Definitely a Kodak moment!" he laughed, earning a smack on the back of the head from me.

"Oi! Hurry up and blow out the candles!" yelled Soujiro.

"Wait! Make a wish first!" said Akira.

Obediently, I closed my eyes and made a wish, then blew out all the candles in one breath. After finishing my slice of cake, I jumped up to face them.

"Alright! Time for presents!"

"Sure. But first, you have to put on this blindfold," says Aoshi, throwing a strip of black cloth in my direction.

"Why?" I ask suspiciously. "You're not going to dunk cold water on me, are you?"

"Well, come to think of it, that's a pretty good idea…" faltered Soujiro as I gave him the evil eye.

"No, we're not going to do anything like that. Cross my heart," replies Aoshi, knocking Soujiro on the head. Akira helped me put on the blindfold, tying the ends really tightly. Then, with Aoshi guiding me, we began to walk. After what seemed like an awfully long time, Akira said to me, "You can take the blindfold off now."

I ripped off the blindfold, and gasped in shock, my hand covering my mouth. There, right in front of me, stood a brand new silvery blue sports car caressed by jasmine flowers. Fireflies were dancing in front of me as everything was made perfect. If someone walked in, they would've thought this was a place for honey moon. A clear pool right next to the car reflecting the light that bounces off of the silver blue pain. This was unbelievable, beyond my utmost fascinating dream.

"Is that for me?" I asked, just to be sure.

"Yup. All yours. And here are the keys," says Aoshi, grinning at me. "By the way, it's from all three of us."

"Honestly, I don't know what to say. 'Thank you' doesn't even come close."

"You don't have to say anything. Your expression tells us all we need to know," said Aoshi, giving me a hug.

* * *

**A/N**: Oh dear that turned out way too short. Well I had it originally 10-12 pages on word but realized they should be split up into two parts because, it just doesn't fit. So chapter 6 and 7 will be short, but I will update very soon ;; maybe tomorrow or in two days max.

**Next chappie**: first major drama. Kenshin had a very important meeting early in the morning. Tomoe gets there finding out Kaoru didn't do her work, what will happen when Kenshin isn't there to support Kaoru? Will Kaoru face Tomoe's wrath by herself?


	7. Women's Battle

**A/N** sorry i went skiing yesterday and when i got back i was just too tired to update, so i updated asap this morning. I GOT MY FIRST 100 REVIEWS i'm sooo happy..

* * *

**Chapter 7  
****Women's battle**

I woke up early the next morning and smiled, remembering yesterday's events. I ate a light breakfast, and left a note addressed to the guys telling them of my whereabouts. Getting into my new car, I drove to the nearest florist to buy a bouquet of white jasmine before heading to the cemetery.

I came to a stop in front of a pair of familiar headstones, placing the bouquet of white jasmin down in front of the headstone bearing the name, Kamiya Koshijiro. I sat down hugging my knees, then turning my face up to look at the clear blue sky.

"Hey mom, hey dad. It's been a while."

The whole place was quiet except for the occasional chirping of the birds and the trees in the light breeze, and my voice, talking—telling them everything that had happened to me in the past few days.

Ever since they died in a car accident, Aoshi was the only person that I could talk to about it. In fact, I still ask him all kinds of questions about them. There were moments when I felt guilty about my parents dying. If I had not insisted that they rush home on that rainy night, none of this would have happened.

So I had asked Aoshi, "Aoshi, was it my fault that they died?"

He smiled, and said, "You're crazy."

He explained that our parents dying was no one's fault – that things happen for reasons that we do not understand. And if there was one thing that I had learnt from him, it was to never look back because what is done, is done and there is nothing else that you can do to change it.

Sometimes, I would have dreams about them that felt so real. I still remember in one nightmare, I had opened both their caskets and saw that they were still alive. I think that happened because I always wondered if there was anything else that we could have done to save them.

Then one day, Aoshi said to me, "Kaoru-chan, every time you speak to them, they are listening to you from up there. You may not know it, but they really are."

From that day onwards, I find myself in my room telling them what was going on with me. I visit them at the cemetery during their birthdays, during Christmas, and whenever else I feel like it.

The pain definitely gets easier with time and I still think of them a lot. I always picture them giving me hugs or smiling at me. Once in a while, I still cry about what happened. But I have also tried to move on. I've been coping with everything, taking it in my stride for the past seven years now.

I want to make my parents proud of me, because I believe that they are watching over me.

* * *

I entered the office, feeling refreshed after my visit to the cemetery. Call me weird, but that's what I always feel after visiting my parents. 

"Kaoru!" hissed Yahiko. "Did you finish your assignment yesterday? The one that you had to work overtime for?"

"No. But I had a reason. Why?" I asked, alarmed at his expression.

"You didn't finish it?" asked Misao, grimacing.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, Kaoru, but I think you're in deep trouble. Tomoe came out of her office a while ago to tell us of your inability to complete work that is given to you. I think she's going to fire you," answered Misao, putting an arm around me, consolingly.

I felt my heart sink to the floor.

"Fire me? But…but she can't do that! Kenshin…I mean, Mr. Himura said he'd explain everything to her!" I looked around the office, noticing all their sympathetic expressions. After a slight pause, I asked in a very small voice, "He didn't come in here at all, did he?"

As everyone shook their heads, realization finally dawned on me. That idiot redhead. How could I have been so stupid? He probably thought it would be fun to get me in trouble with Tomoe. In fact, I bet they had planned this all out together. I slumped down into a chair nearby. Why wasn't I on my guard? What made me think that they had changed for the better? Because, obviously, they hadn't. They were still as cruel and sly as they were back in high school. Now, I regret helping Kenshin clean his wound yesterday night. If anything, I should have pushed the shard deeper into his flesh. And to think that I actually used my favorite scarf to bandage his hand! Stupid! Stupid!

"Kamiya Kaoru. In my office. Now." Tomoe's voice echoed throughout the silent floor.

I flinched inwardly at her voice. Nevertheless, I got up from the chair, straightened my clothes and walked towards her office, my chin held high. There was no way I was going to enter her office with my tail tucked between my legs. I rapped sharply on her door and waited. Although I knew I was calm and composed on the appearance, but I was feel beads of sweat developing on my neck and hands.

"Come in."

I crossed my fingers behind my back then pushed her door open. She stood leaning against the table, her arms folded across her chest.

"Aren't you going to greet me?"

I bit the insides of my cheek to keep myself from spitting an awful remark at her. "Good morning, Ms. Yukishiro," I said, bowing slightly.

"That's better. Anyway, you do know why I called you in here right?"

"Yes. About my inability to complete my work."

"It doesn't come as a surprise to me, Kaoru. I've always expected you to do something irresponsible like this. I did mention once, that I didn't need to see your work to judge you. You're incapable of doing anything right. Why don't you give me a valid reason as to why I shouldn't give you the sack after what you failed to do?" she sneered.

I met her gaze head-on. "Why don't you ask Kenshin?"

"That's Mr. Himura to you. And what's he got to do with everything at hand here?"

"Oh, nothing, only that Mr. Himura was the one who exempted me from completing my work."

The sneer began to disappear from her face and she flashed me an icy glare. "Oh really? Funny how he never mentioned anything to me."

"Well, that's just too bad. Why don't you go and ask him about it?" I returned her glare.

Just then, she threw her head back and laughed, a mean and cruel laugh. One that sent shivers down my spine. And just as abruptly as she had started, she stopped, smiling icily at me.

"I'm sorry Kaoru, but I won't be able to do that. You see, Mr. Himura left early in the morning to attend an important meeting and I'm afraid he won't be back till later in the afternoon, which means that he will not be able to certify whether what you are saying is the truth or not."

"Haven't you ever heard of a telephone? You could always give him a call to certify it. But you know what? There's no use for that. It's obvious that you don't believe me and you've made it pretty clear that you don't want me working here. So you can sod off, because I'm resigning."

* * *

I cleared all my possessions and carefully placed them into a small cardboard box. With a heavy heart, I bid farewell to all the people with whom I've become quite attached to while I've been working here. 

"Hey, cheer up! It's not like I'll be leaving to someplace far away or anything. We could always meet up during lunch hours," I said, trying my best to smile. "Anyway, I'd like to thank all of you guys for being so nice to me while I was here. To Omasu, for always being there, Misao, for always sticking up for me, Yahiko-CHAN—

"Hey don't call me that!"

"—for being your wacky self and the countless chocolate bars that you always gave me, and to Megumi, for being the first person to befriend me here and get me acquainted with everyone. Thank you very, very much."

There was a slight pause around the office after I had finished my mini speech. Then, chairs scraped backwards on the floor as everyone got out of their seats to circle around me.

"Remember to call!" says Omasu, squeezing me so tight I couldn't breathe.

"If you ever need any help, you know where to look for me," said Misao, putting an arm around me, even at times like this, her bright green eyes looked at me filled with hope, smiling in the worst of the times.

"Always keep your head up high," smiled Yahiko, tilting my chin up.

"All the best, Kaoru. Take good care of yourself," says Megumi, giving me a hug.

I wandered slowly towards the doors of the building and go out onto the street, heaving the cardboard box slightly, and smiling at the security guard standing there. And then I stop. What am I supposed to do now? I didn't really want to tell Aoshi and the guys what happened to me. They'd be so disappointed! I blew my hair out of my face. I can't stand still on the pavement outside Mitsurugi Ryu Corporations all day either. People will start to think I'm a piece of installation art or something. So eventually I begin walking down the street, where my car was parked just round the corner, thinking hard to myself.

After taking a few steps, a black sports car screeched to a stop right beside me. The driver got out of the car, and to my surprise, it was Kenshin. What was he doing here anyway? He was supposed to be at some bloody important meeting till late afternoon. I ducked my head so that the cardboard box covered most of my face, hoping against hope that he had not seen me. I did not feel like confronting him. All the energy I had earlier was drained out of me already. I continued walking, pretending I had not spotted him.

"Where do you think you're going?

* * *

I kept my head bowed down, increasing my pace, totally ignoring him. Suddenly, he grabbed my arm from behind, and turned me around roughly to face him. As a result, the cardboard box fell out of my arms, littering the pavement with all of my belongings. 

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked icily, whipping his sunglasses off with one hand.

I bent down to pick up the strewn items. "It's none of your business."

"Answer me," he said, jerking me up by my arm to face him again.

"Look, I just resigned, okay? So I'm leaving."

Suddenly, I feel awfully tired. My arm was sore from all his grabbing and I was beginning to suspect that a bruise was already forming there. I turned away from him and once again, bent down to pick up my things again.

"You can't resign. You've already signed a one year contract with us. If you resign, you don't get any pay." Kenshin argued.

"So? I don't care. You can keep the money. It's not like I'm desperate for it anyway."

"You're also not allowed to work for any other company for the next six months. You do know that, don't you? It's in the contract."

I was silent for a while. What? Nobody mentioned anything like that! I leaned my head against the brick wall and closed my eyes. What am I going to do now? In the first place, what can I do? Suddenly, all the hurt and anger resurfaced within me. If it weren't for him, none of this would have happened. If he had told Tomoe about what happened yesterday night, I wouldn't be stuck in this predicament. I opened my eyes and glared at him.

"It's all your fault I'm stuck in this mess! If you had told Tomoe that you had exempted me from completing the assignment this morning, I wouldn't be here arguing with you! I would be sitting back at my desk doing something!" My voice rises to a shriek. "But I suppose that you're so huge and important that you couldn't even find two minutes to tell her that little bit of information, huh? Or maybe you just find some sort of sick pleasure getting someone in trouble. Either one, I'm not bothered. I'm sick and tired of the both of you treating me like trash."

I closed my eyes again, and rubbed my face with my hands. "You know what? Just…just leave me al—Aargh! Let go!"

He was dragging me by my arm, back towards the building. "What…are…you…doing?"

I asked, struggling to get out of his grasp. His fists were clamped so tightly around my arm that I gave up after a while.

"Clear the things on the pavement," he says to the same security guard that I had seen earlier.

We both entered the elevator, and he pressed the button for the 26th floor. The Marketing Department. We rode in silence. His face was a mask of coldness and determination. As the elevator door pings open, he drags me towards Tomoe's office. I could see everyone's mouth drop open in surprise at the sight of the both of us. That's not surprising. I mean, if I were one of them, my mouth would probably drop open too seeing the boss drag one of his workers across the floor. Without even bothering to knock, he entered her room and slammed it shut behind us.

* * *

"Mr. Himura! Aren't you supposed to be at a meeting?" says Tomoe, standing up in surprise and giving him a slight bow. 

He pulled me to the front of her desk, and I could see Tomoe begin to pale visibly. "I was the one who told her that she did not need to complete her work," he said, staring straight at Tomoe. "Any questions about it?"

"No, sir."

"Good. Then Kaoru can get back to her work, am I right?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but Tomoe beat me to it.

"She already resigned, sir."

That cow. Okay, I admit it. I do want to continue working here. I wasn't thinking properly when I said I was leaving. It was just a rash decision. But I think Tomoe just ruined any chances I had of getting my job back.

"Oh really? Can I see her resignation letter?"

She looked up at him, her jaw dropping. "She…she didn't hand in one. She…um...said that she was resigning."

"Verbally?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Tomoe, you should know better. Verbal resignations do not count. She has to send in a resignation letter to make it official. And it has to be sent in a month before she can actually leave. I thought you knew all these. If there is nothing else, Kaoru," he said, turning to me, "You can go back to your desk now."

At his words, I felt like jumping for joy. Yes! Yes! Instead, I kept my composure.

"But…my things are…"

"I'll have someone send it up to you later."

I bowed to the both of them before exiting the room. The moment I came out, everyone rushed towards me, bombarding me with questions. I raised my hands to silence them.

"The thing is, I got my job back. And right now, I need to go do my work. I'll tell you guys what happened over lunch, okay?"

"Tomoe, I told you not to mess with her," said Kenshin, his dark eyes cold and grave.

"Whether you believe me or not, I didn't do anything to her," replied Tomoe, looking him in the eye. "She resigned on her own free will. I didn't make her do it."

"I'm sure she tried to tell you why she didn't finish her work. If you had believed her, she wouldn't have done it."

"How was I supposed to know she was telling the truth? She could always make up some story to lie her way out of getting sacked, right? You can never tell. She just might stoop to that level."

He glared at Tomoe icily. "If I were you, Yukishiro Tomoe, I'd watch what I say. Oh, by the way, when I was in your room yesterday, I accidentally knocked your glass plaque to the floor."

With that, he turned on his heel and made his way towards the door.

"Wait. Aren't you supposed to be at a meeting? What are you doing back here?"

"Simple. I left the meeting to come back and explain things to you."

"You just upped and left? Pretty irresponsible of you, Kenshin."

"If I didn't do that, Kaoru wouldn't even be working here anymore, right? Of course, I'm pretty sure that you were hoping I would've stayed at the meeting."

"You would sacrifice almost everything for her, won't you, Kenshin" sneered Tomoe.

Without answering her, he turned the knob and left himself out, slamming the door shut behind him. Tomoe stared after him, her eyes slanted. She walked over to the glass windows and parted the blinds, looking down at the city below her.

Kamiya Kaoru. You'd better watch out. Kenshin can't even save you from my wrath, he served in the revolution but he knows nothing how dangerous a women's battle can be. And guess what? Kaoru, my dear, this is a battle you won't win.

* * *

**A/N**: Aren't I nice, I didn't leave a cliffie this time, ok maybe not a big one at least. This one is also kinda/sorta short because it was originally linked to chapter 6, but as you can tell, bdays and fight with tomoe the next day is two different things. 

I love making Kaoru go through all this trouble and Kenshin in between. I hope my readers don't mind, I am wicked and cruel and I admit I love making kaoru get in all these trouble and making her suffer ;; but it's my fic. So hehe u'll just have to live with it. It'll be a long time before I make things go smooth for her.

**Next chapter's** a longer one. Kaoru's misfortune number two, Tomoe's plan to fire her didn't work, so what next? Frame her and make kenshin hate her.

**General explanation**: most of you said you prefer me to not reply to reviews because it gives the false impression that the story's long and all, but I do want to clear some things up.

Kenshin, even as battousai, would never hit a girl, more or less, his ex girlfriend he's dated for what? 5-8 years? And he still does care for her, just not in the guy-girl way anymore.

Some of you asked why hasn't some important people, like sano, come out yet. He'll come out, and he's going to take some big parts to defend Kaoru, against … well someone you'll never expect.


	8. Hatred II

**A/N: **last update for the year, see you all in 2006, for once i'm replying to reviews, i always read them and take them into consideration but like most readers suggested that replies just makes the chapter look longer and it doesn't help unless they're asking questions. so i'll reply to the signed reviews and answer any questions but i appreciates all the reviews.

**The Mystic Firefl**y: time period, sorry i haven't thought about that too much, well hm... i cna't say meiji because why would there be sports cars, um, let's say the 20th or 21st centry and it was Iraq battle, and not exactly revolution, sorry for the lame planning i have. ;;

**Jeez**: well Tomoe fighting low and kaoru won't scoop that low so let's let our fav. redhead take his ex. girlfriend on. plus i like it when Kenshin is forced to fight in between his current girl and his ex girl friend he's had for years.

**JMai**: it's good to know that someone actually reads the author notes. and i'll reply to some reviews.

**Blooded Wyng**s: very sorry to say this, but saitou won't show again. ;; i actually wanted him in too but he just didn't fit. and i will make kenshin suffer, a lot, i'm just so evil. Sano's coming up, and later his role is crucial, tho some of you might kill me for it but o well.

**Karmen **: i'm glad you like their fights because there'll be a lot more.

**oro kenshin**: Yes eventually he'll give in to his "rurouni" side and confess but hm,... will Kaoru accept or not?

**forever angel**: i will try to get the misao and aoshi thing started, (who says i don't listen to my readers?) but it may not work out the way you wanted it. but i will try

**anonymous but very intrested**: i got your review, went back and explained what her glass plaque was, i'm glad there's someone to point out the things that would be intreseting to go deeper on.

**Royal Blue Kitsune**: Tomoe's going to frame her, very bad. by the way i read your "the sea my love" story, i was amazed at how you painted beauty with your words, truely impressed.

**quick a/n**: if i didn't reply to you, it's probably because you didn't ask question but i will say i love you and your reviewing and i hope they keep on coming. i replied to chapter 7 reviews.

* * *

**Chapter Eight:  
****Tomoe's Hatred II**

All of us returned to the office, talking animatedly, our stomachs full.

"Hey Kaoru," yelled Tsubame. "There's a gift on your table!"

I turned towards her, from where I was standing. "What?"

"Yup. Here it is," answered Misao, lifting it up for me to see. It was wrapped in light pink paper, with a white ribbon fastened on the front. I made my way over to them and fingered the ribbon. There was no card or any note that was attached to the gift.

"Oooooooooh, Kaoru's got a secret admirer!" sang Yahiko.

"Yahiko-CHAN" I warned him, "It might just be a belated birthday gift from someone!" I said pulling out a bokken knocking Yahiko's head lightly.

"Belated birthday gift? When was your birthday?" asked Misao, widening her eyes.

"Oh…um…yesterday."

"YESTERDAY?" everyone chorused.

I looked up at them with wide eyes. "Why the sudden excitement?"

"Why didn't you mention anything?" asked Tsubame.

"Um, I felt there wasn't a need to…you know…tell everyone," I answered, earning a smack on the back of my head by Yahiko.

Just then, Tomoe entered the office and everyone scurried back to his or her places to resume their work. I gave her a small smile, only to have her glare at me. I sat down in my seat and pondered whether I should open the present or not. Before I could make up my mind, Tomoe came up to my desk and slammed a whole stack of files onto the table. She was still mad with both Kaoru and Kenshin.

'Kenshin's mad at me, and now all chummy with Kaoru, god I can't stand this girl. I just don't get it. I wonder if Kenshin broke my glass plaque on purpose, he gave it to me when he asked me out, it was like the symbol of our love. That liar, shattering our love and promises like that. This girl will never win me, and as long as she is here, she's a danger for me, and I will personally make her suffer.' Thoughts wheeled around through her head as she slammed down a stack of papers.

"I want you to retype all these documents. They have to be on my desk by 8 o'clock sharp tomorrow morning."

My jaw dropped open. She has got to be kidding me. There are about six files and thousands of papers altogether! "Ms. Yukishiro, why can't I just photocopy them? It'll save more time."

"When I tell you to retype them, you just do as I say. No questions asked, oh, also, I want you to fix the spelling errors," she answered, her voice steely.

I heaved a sigh. After she had entered her own room, a scrunched up paper ball landed on my table. I carefully opened the note and read what was inscribed on it.

_It's not safe to talk. She'll probably bite our heads off if she hears any noise. In fact, I have a feeling she's monitoring us through those blinds that covers the glass panels of her office. Anyway, do you need any help in typing all those documents? We don't really have much to do so don't hesitate to ask us for help.  
-Yahiko and Tsubame._

I glanced over at them and gave them a grateful smile. Then, with my pen, I scrawled my response just below their message.

_Thanks for offering. I know you all mean well but I can't possibly accept it. I know for a fact that you guys are laden with work. Don't even try to lie to me. She made you guys create another 5 advertisements, this time with a catchy song. So don't worry about me. I'll manage it on my own. Besides, she gave me a dateline for tomorrow. I can always bring it home with me and type them out. Thanks loads though. I really appreciate it.  
-Kaoru._

Making sure that Tomoe wasn't peeking through the blinds, I launched the scrunched paper ball back towards Yahiko's desk. Then, heaving an extra huge sigh, I picked up the topmost file, opened it and began to type.

After typing continuously for two and a half hours straight without any rest, my vision became blurry and I was beginning to feel a crick in the back of my neck. I stretched my arms and stood up, carrying my now empty mug with me and headed towards the coffee machine.

As I walk past Yahiko's desk, he asks me, "Alright there, Kaoru?"

I gave him a smile and nodded my head, indicating that I was doing pretty well. After refilling my mug with coffee, I went back to my desk and sat down, staring at my computer screen. Taking a sip of coffee, I decided to take a little break. To be honest, I was frustrated. Who wouldn't be? After typing for so long, I realized that I have not even completed a quarter of the first file.

Just then, I caught a glimpse of the present hidden under a pile of papers. I pulled the present out from under them and slowly, I began to pull off the ribbons and unwrap it. A thrill of exhilaration coursed through me as I lifted the lid of the box and peered inside it. I gave a small gasp at what I saw. Inside the box lay a beautiful cream colored scarf, with a discreet Hermès signature at one corner. I lifted the scarf and a small note fluttered out.

Thanks.  


There was no doubt about it. It was from Kenshin. He was the only one I knew who left one word notes. I remember receiving something similar from him back in high school. I let the scarf run through my fingers. The material felt so soft and silky against my skin. It definitely must have cost him a bundle.

Suddenly, I remember all the hurtful things I said to his face this morning. How he stood up to Tomoe and how he helped me get my job back. Oh my God. I feel like a grade-A heel.

You deserve it, a small voice in the back of my head piped up. After all, you did use your favorite scarf to bandage his wound. Maybe this is his way of replacing your scarf. The one that he ruined.

I ignored the little voice. I still felt guilty about what I did earlier. Maybe it really just slipped his mind. I mean, he's always really busy and everything. He should be. He's the President of a whole corporation. I bit my lip and thought for while. Coming to a decision, I placed the scarf back into the box, got up from my seat and headed towards the elevator, the box tucked safely under my arm.

I had made up my mind.

The only noble thing to do was to go and apologize to him.

* * *

I made my way towards Yumi, who was Kenshin's secretary. 

"May I help you, Ms. Kamiya?" she asked, giving me a smile.

"Yeah. I would like to see Mr. Himura. Is he in?"

"Hold on a moment, alright? I'll just make a call to him and ask whether he's free."

As I waited, I rehearsed what I was going to say to him, over and over again in my head, all the while twisting my fingers. To say I was nervous was just putting it mildly.

"You may enter now," says Yumi.

"Thanks." I straightened my clothes and took a deep breath, making my way through the familiar corridors that led to his room. I knocked softly on his door and when I heard a distinct, "Come in," I crossed my fingers behind my back for luck and hoped for the best before entering.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Himura," I said, bowing slightly. When I raised my head to look at him, I was surprised to see that he was wearing silver rimless spectacles. Funny. He never wore spectacles back in high school, but I suppose people change. Somehow, those spectacles only helped to accentuate his chiseled features more, making him look…good. I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts. What am I doing? I'm here to apologize to him, for God's sake, not dwell on his looks. (I know you probably can't imagine Kenshin with glasses-another reason I wanted to make him Enishi- but bear with me)

"Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked, his voice grave and businesslike.

I went up to the front of his desk and pushed the box towards him. He raised his eyes up to me questioningly. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept this. Thank you though," I say, as sincerely as I could.

He got up from his seat and propped his hands on the table, looking at me straight in the eye. "Why?"

"Oh, and I'm sorry about what I said to you this morning. I really shouldn't have accused you of all those things," I continued, ignoring his question.

"You still haven't answered my question."

I shifted my gaze away from him. Then, in a small voice, I said, "I don't deserve it."

He looked at me, with an amused smile. "And why don't you deserve it?"

I looked at him with a strange expression. "After all that I have said and done to you while I was working here, you feel I deserve it?"

He raised an eyebrow and I took it as a sign to continue.

"I mean, on my first day here I just barged into your room and yelled at you, and just this morning…" I trailed off, wincing slightly.

"But you also helped to clean my wound yesterday night, and your scarf was ruined in the process. Just treat this as a replacement for your other scarf."

"Um, there's no need for that. That scarf wasn't expensive or anything."

"Then treat it as a belated birthday gift."

My head snapped up at those words. How did he know? I didn't mention anything about it to him.

"Don't look so surprised. I saw the message in your cell phone," he said.

Oh, yeah. Now I remember walking in on him when he was looking through my phone. Mou! I mentally smacked myself. What was I thinking?

"But…this scarf is too expensive. I really can't accept it."

"Tell you what, why don't you do me a favor by accompanying me to the dinner hosted by the Kiyosato Corporations next week, and we'll call it even, alright?"

I thought about this for a while. "Alright," I finally answered.

"Guys! Brother-dear! I'm home!" I yelled, heaving all the files onto a couch nearby. I slumped down next to all the files and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to my chest. Footsteps were heard as all three of them ran down the stairs.

"Tired?" asked Aoshi, sitting down next to me. I nodded my head in response, closed my eyes and laid my head on his shoulder for a while.

"Wow…that's a lot of documents. Why'd you bring them home anyway?" asked Danny, leafing through one of them.

I raised my head and looked at all three of them. "I have to retype every single one of them by 8 o'clock sharp tomorrow morning!" I wailed.

"What? Why can't you just photocopy it?" asked Akira, reaching for one of the files.

"Mou! I know, that's what I told her! But she insisted that I type it. So I thought I would photocopy the whole thing behind her back, but then I realized that there are tons of typing mistakes in there. If I were to do it, she'd know for sure."

"Tomoe?" asked Soujiro, raising an eyebrow.

I groaned and nodded my head. "Anyway, I'd better start typing again. I'll be lucky if I could even sleep tonight," I said, standing up and sweeping the files up into my arms.

"Hold on," says Aoshi, "I could help you type some of them. I've got nothing to do."

"Yeah. Count us in," said Akira, pointing to both him and Soujiro.

I looked at them skeptically. "Are you guys sure?"

When they all nodded their heads furiously, I dropped all the files again and gave each of them a hug. "You guys are the greatest."

"Oh, you didn't have to tell us that. We knew it a long time ago," said Soujiro, grinning at me.

"Alright, let's get to work!" yelled Aoshi.

While Soujiro and Akira ran upstairs to fetch all our laptops, Aoshi cleared the flower arrangements from the dining table while I rummaged through the kitchen for drinks and all sorts of junk food that we would probably need to keep us going through the night. When we were sure we had everything we needed, we began typing away. We've practically set up a mini office in the dining room, the silence filled with the tapping of keyboards and random conversations.

"Oh yeah, Aoshi-sama, are you invited to the dinner party held by the Kyosato Corporations next week?" I asked.

"Yup," he answered, taking a sip of cola. "Why? Wanna come with me?"

"Um…I'm already going. Kenshin asked me to accompany him," I say, blushing furiously.

Everyone stopped typing and looked at me.

"Kenshin asked you to go with him?" said Soujiro, astounded.

"Well, there was a reason actually." I told them how I helped him to clean his wound, about him giving me the scarf then about his invitation.

"If he was the guy we saw at the Japanese restaurant the other day, I have to say, he doesn't look bad at all," says Akira, giving me a wink.

"Aki-san!" I yelled, throwing a popcorn at him, as everyone laughed.

"Anyway, Aoshi-sama, I need a favor from you."

"Hmmm, I knew this was coming. What is it?" he asked, ruffling my hair.

"I need you to pretend we're not brothers and sisters."

"Why?" he asked, his eyes wide open.

"You see, Kenshin doesn't know that I'm the sister of the President of Kasshin Ryu Corporations yet. And…" I trailed off.

He looked at me for a moment. Then, he smiled at me. "Alright. I'll do that. But what are you going to do about the others? Most of dad's friends are bound to be there and they'll recognize you almost immediately."

"We'll just have to think of something," I answered, resuming my typing. 'for now I just have to worried about not being fired.

Three hours later.

"Aoshi-sama, Kaoru-dono there is someone at the door, they ask to see Kamiya-san. I don't know who it is." Tae-san called up to us.

We looked up from our laptops, who could it be we asked each other. Aoshi got up first then gave me a hand as I was numb from sitting so long. Both of us walked down stairs to see Misao standing out there in the rain under an umbrella.

I quickly ran to the door and unlocked it, inviting her in. "Misao! What are you doing? Are you cold?"

She didn't reply but took a look around, "Wow, you have a large house. And no I'm fine. I heard about what Tomoe made you do and I came over to help you type."

"Are you sure? There's a lot to type." I asked.

"I'm fine, let's get started."

"ah hem." Aoshi on the side of the stairs noted.

"O, right, Misao, this is my brother Aoshi. Aoshi this is my friend from work, the ever happy and cheerful Misao."

"How do you do?" Misao said extending her hand towards Aoshi.

"… Fine… Thank you." Aoshi slowly muttered. This is funny, I've never seen Aoshi stumble on words.

The three of us went up to the second floor living room. I introduced her to everyone and soon the five of us started to type away.

(o man, that misao entry really didn't fit, I'm sorry, just some of you wanted to include misao and Aoshi thing, that the last time I insert Misao randomly in a small gap, sorry readers)

* * *

I ran as fast as I could into the building, my hair in a wild disarray behind me and my arms loaded with files. I sprinted across the marble floor and put out one free hand to stop the elevator doors from closing. I bowed to whoever was inside and murmured an apology, then pressed the button for the 26th floor. I leaned against the walls of the elevator and closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath. 

The three of us had stayed up almost all night trying to finish typing all the documents, and neither of us could get a shut eye until about 4.30 in the morning. Too tired to go back up to our rooms, we had dragged ourselves to the living room and slept on the couches there. Tae-san had woken us up at 7.15, telling us to go back to our rooms to sleep, Misao is probably still in my room. Not really knowing how I actually did it, I had managed to get myself ready in 10 minutes and had driven at about 120 mph just to get here before 8 o'clock.

The moment the elevator doors pinged open at my floor, I made a beeline for Tomoe's office, not bothering to knock. The only thing on my mind was that I had to get those files to her on time.

"Ms. Yukishiro," I said, heaving all the files on her desk, "here are the documents that you wanted."

When I looked up, my jaw dropped open when I saw Kenshin standing there, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a file, leaning against the cupboard looking at me, one eyebrow raised. No sign of Tomoe anywhere. I mentally kicked myself. Why is it that every time I make a fool of myself, he's always there to witness it?

"Mou! I'm sorry, Mr. Himura," I said, bowing slightly, "I didn't know you were in here."

"It's alright," he answered, a strange expression on his face. "Were you in a rush this morning?"

I looked up at him in surprise. "Yeah. How did you know?"

Slowly, he walks towards me, until he's standing just in front of me. He lifts his hand and rakes his fingers through my messy hair in a bid to straighten them. I froze at his gesture, like a rabbit caught in a pair of headlights.

My mind was in a jumble and I was unable to form a coherent thought. I look up and met his gaze, and feel a little jolt inside me. I can't tear my eyes away from his, it's just that his eyes, they're different today. A swirl of purple and amber, it hooked onto my own blue eyes. I can't even move my body. I'm completely transfixed. His fingers had stopped raking through my hair a while ago and he was now leaning towards me, very slowly.

Just then, the doorknob rattled and we both snapped back into impassive expressions and move slightly away from each other. The doors open and my stomach gives a lurch.

Tomoe's beady eyes swept across the room, stopping first to look at Kenshin, then at me.

"What were you guys doing in here?" she asked, staring straight at me, her eyes blazing.

I raised my chin defiantly. "We weren't doing anything. When I came in to hand over the documents that you asked me to type yesterday, he was already in here."

She assessed me from head to toe, a disgusted curl forming on her lips.

"If there isn't anything else, may I please leave now?" I asked, in a clipped voice.

She dismissed me with a swish of her hand and without looking at Kenshin, I turned on my heel and let myself out of her room.

I went back to my desk and put my head in my hands, a little confused. What exactly happened back there? Although I had never dated anyone before, no thanks to Soujiro, whom most people often mistook as my boyfriend, I was certain that there was some sort of connection between the both of us just now. It was as though an unknown force was drawing me towards him. I banged my head on the table. Oh my God. If Tomoe had not burst in on us when she did…I shuddered to think of what might have happened.

"Himura Kenshin," sneered Tomoe, folding her arms across her chest, "what were you guys really doing in here? And don't give me that crap about not doing anything."

Kenshin looked over at her coldly. "My affairs are none of your business," he said, turning away. "By the way, you address me as Mr. Himura when we are at the office."

After he had practically slammed the door in her face, she walked over to her seat and sat down in a huff. She just didn't get it. What did Kaoru have that she didn't? Why was Kenshin so infatuated with her?

As she thought about all these, her fists clenched in anger and her eyes narrowed to slits.

Well, if I can't have Kenshin, neither can she.

* * *

Kenshin closed the door to his office and made his way towards the wheeled cart holding a tray of heavy crystal decanters filled with liquor. Although it was only 8.30 in the morning, he poured himself a finger's worth of vodka and went to sit at his desk after draining the glass in one gulp. 

He couldn't focus his mind on business and that's what was most troubling. Kenshin had long felt that one of his greatest assets was his ability to concentrate on a single problem for endless hours, turning the matter this way and that to look at it from every conceivable angle. But now, he was neglecting his duty shamefully, a thing that rankled a man as hidebound as himself.

He finally allowed himself ten minutes to think about Kaoru, and mentally relived the encounter he had with her.

'_Why did Tomoe have to come in at that time and spoil everything? Does Kaoru feel the same way that I do about her?'_

He exhaled and ran his fingers through his own hair. The ten minutes came and went in the blink of an eye. Ten minutes just wasn't nearly enough to let his mind do justice to sort out all his thoughts and feelings, so he allotted an unprecedented twenty minutes.

At the end of thirty minutes, Kenshin decided it was time to banish all thoughts of Kaoru from his mind, and concentrate for a while on all the business matters that were continually pressing in upon him. With all that on his mind, it should have been child's play for him to forget all about her. The problem was, no matter how many times he turned his thoughts toward the arcane business practices of the international banking community, his focus faded and Kenshin, once again, rose to the forefront of his consciousness, demanding his total awareness.

"I've got to concentrate," he whispered to himself, rubbing his temples lightly, staring at the cover page of a contract on his desk.

**

* * *

"Alright everyone, listen up!" yelled Tomoe, clapping her hands to try to get our attention. I hurriedly typed the last few words of my article, then looked up at her. "Mr. Himura has called for a meeting with all of us at 10 o'clock sharp later in the conference room. Please do not be late. Oh, and Kaoru," she says, giving me a sickeningly sweet smile. "You wouldn't mind helping to serve the teas and coffees during the meeting, right?" **

"Of course not, Ms. Yukishiro," I reply, evenly.

The moment she turned her back on us, I slumped back down in my seat and groaned. Ever since that incident with Kenshin in her room, I had tried my best to avoid him at all costs. And I've been doing pretty well, if I might say so myself. Parking my car a few blocks away from the building, burying my head in newspapers, ducking behind potted plants every time I spotted him walking in my direction…you know the works. A thought popped into my mind just then, causing me to frown slightly. Three more days till the dinner. The guys seemed pretty hyped up about the whole thing. In fact, I'm supposed to go shopping with them later in the day to pick out my dress and shoes, assuming that I could get off from work early. Weird, huh? I never knew guys liked shopping either.  
I blew the hair out of my face, stood up and headed over to the coffee machine to refill my mug.

Today is going to be a long, long day.

Oh my God. I can't deal with this. I can't deal with any of this! As I go round the table pouring out coffee and tea for the members of the marketing department, I look calm on the outside, smiling at everyone and even chatting pleasantly. But inside, I'm all unsettled and confused. I fix my attention firmly on the tea trolley, then went up to Kenshin.

"Would you like coffee or tea?" I ask, as blandly as I could.

"Coffee."

"How many cubes of sugar?"

"One."

I poured him a cup of steaming hot coffee, dropped a cube of sugar into it and stirred it a little. I could feel him looking at me from the corners of his eyes. Carefully avoiding his gaze, I placed the cup on a saucer and put it in front of him.

"We need more lateral thinking, people," Tomoe is saying. "The fizzy drinks are simply not performing as it should. Yahiko, you have the latest research statistics?"

Yahiko stands up and I feel a flip of apprehension on his behalf. Poor guy. I can tell he's really nervous from the way he keeps fiddling with his pen.

"That's right."

He picks up a clipboard and clears his throat. Then, he presses his remote control and a graph appears on the screen behind him, and we all stare at it obediently, while he began explaining. I stifled a yawn after a few minutes. Oh God. I know it's Yahiko, the guy who've helped me through hard times and who has always been a really great friend. But honestly, couldn't he make this whole thing sound a little bit more interesting?

I glanced around the table at everyone else to see how they were taking it. Omasu had jotted down brief notes on her notepad, both Misao and Megumi were paying rapt attention to whatever Yahiko was saying, and even Tomoe's gaze was fixed on the graph, her eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration.

Wait…am I the only one who finds this whole thing boring?

I shifted my gaze over to Kenshin and he raised his eyebrows at me. Immediately I shifted my gaze back to Yahiko, trying as hard as I could to concentrate and mentally kicking myself.

"Alright, let's all take a break," says Kenshin, closing his file.

At his words, everybody began to stand up and stretch themselves. I rubbed my face a few times, trying to get rid of my drowsiness. Throughout the whole meeting, I had only narrowly escaped from falling asleep. Every time I so much as closed my eyes, Yahiko would pinch me really, really hard on the arm. Crazy wombat. Remind me never to sit next to him again.

"Kaoru! Get up and serve the teas and coffees," snapped Tomoe.

I threw her an irritated look, then got up and headed towards the tea trolley. I went round the table refilling everyone's cups, occasionally making small talk.

"Kaoru, I want a new cup of tea," says Tomoe.

I blew the hair out of my face, and rummaged around the tea trolley for new tea bags. I groaned, realizing that there were none.

"Ms. Yukishiro, would it be all right if you drank coffee instead? We've run out of new tea bags."

She shot me an icy glare. "If you've run out of tea bags, go and get new ones."

"But that means I have to go all the way back down to the Marketing Department and come back up again!" I whined.

"So? Do I look like I care?"

I shot her a glare, then turned on my heel and headed towards the Marketing Department.

I searched high and low for new tea bags in our mini kitchen, opening and closing drawers, but unfortunately, found none. I stood up and ran my hand through my hair, exhaling a frustrated sigh. Stupid ostrich. She just has to drink tea.

I walked around the perimeters of the kitchen, thinking where I could find more tea bags when I remembered that Tomoe kept lots of them in her room, on the coffee table. Well, if she wants some tea, she can use her own tea bags. I made my way towards her office, grabbed a few sachets of tea bags and went out of her room. As I passed by my desk, my stomach gave a little rumble. Hesitating a little, I took out the little tupperware filled with snacks that Aoshi had packed for me this morning, from my bag on the table.

As I waited for the elevators to arrive, the position of my bag, which I had found it in earlier, struck me as odd, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I dismissed the thought with a shrug, when the elevators arrived. I had more pressing matters on hand, such as filling my stomach.

* * *

In just a matter of minutes, the cookies that Aoshi had packed for me were gone. I had decided to share them with everyone else because if I was hungry I was sure that they were too. The meeting went on for another three hours, before it finally ended. There was a flurry of activity as everyone closed their files and stood up. I stretched myself, then proceeded to clear all the cups from the table. 

"Leave them alone. Someone will be up here to clean it," says Kenshin, tightly.

I was only too happy to follow his orders. After all those tea and coffee pouring, my arms were pretty sore. Whoever knew the pots were so heavy? I followed everyone out of the conference room and headed towards the elevators. Once inside, Omasu pressed the button for the 26th floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Tomoe and Kenshin huddled together in one corner of the elevator, talking in low voices. No doubt talking about business.

When the elevator doors pinged open, we all stepped out, heading back to our own desks while Kenshin followed Tomoe into her room, still talking. I slumped down in my seat, and closed my eyes for a while before resuming the work that I had left earlier. Neither of us had opened our mouths to speak to each other because we didn't want to show the President that we weren't work oriented. The tapping of keyboards and the sound of files opening and closing filled the silence.

Suddenly, a loud curse was heard from Tomoe's room and the door flung open to reveal a very disheveled and a very angry Tomoe.

"Which one of you stole my watch?" she ground out.

We looked at her in bewilderment. Kenshin came up next to her to try to calm her down, but she ignored him.

"I said, which one of you stole my watch? My diamond watch! The one that I left on the table before going for that meeting. Who did it?" she asks, her voice rising to a shriek.  
We all looked at one another and shook our heads.

"How could one of us have done it? We were all at the meeting with you," says Misao.

"Okay, if none of you wants to own up, we'll just have to search everybody," yelled Tomoe, moving towards Yahiko's desk which was closest to her.

She thoroughly searched through everyone's desk, bags, and coats. Finally, she reached my desk. The only desk that she had not checked.

"Why don't you just return it to me and we'll pretend none of this ever happened?"

I looked up at her defiantly. "Are you trying to accuse me of stealing?"

"Well, I've searched everyone else and found nothing. Who else could have done it?"

"I didn't do it," I say shortly.

"Very well. We'll see about that." She began rummaging through all my drawers, creating a big mess in the process. Finding nothing in there, she straightened herself and searched through my coat pockets, then my bag. As she dumped everything inside my bag onto the tabletop, her diamond watch fell out, amidst all the other items. I stared at it in shock. She lifted the watch up triumphantly, for everyone to see. Then she turned to face me.

"So, how do you explain this, Kamiya Kaoru?"

"I really didn't do it," I say, hotly.

"Oh really? Then what is it doing in your bag?" she asked, sneering.

I was at a loss for words. How did it get in there? I looked up at all my other colleagues, and I could see that they were pretty gob-smacked as well. Kenshin came over to stand next to Tomoe, his face grave and his eyes hard.

"Did you do it, Kaoru?" he asks, in a very cold voice.

My jaw dropped open in disbelief. "I didn't do it! How many times must I repeat that? I didn't do it!"

"Maybe it's just a little mix-up," says Misao, coming to my defense. I silently thanked her. "She couldn't have done it. She was with us the whole time. Right, Kaoru?"

I nodded my head.

"Then, how did you get those new tea bags, Kaoru? Because if I'm not mistaken, those tea bags are mine. I personally bought them myself. Didn't you think that I'd notice?"

"I only went into your room to get those tea bags. You were the only one who wanted tea, and you refused to drink coffee when I told you that we had run out of tea bags. There weren't any in the kitchen drawers. Where did you expect me to get new ones? Go out and buy?"

"What did you do after taking the tea bags?" asks Kenshin.

"I exited her room, then when I passed by my desk, I decided to take out the tu— "

I stopped in mid sentence. Now I knew what was wrong with the whole picture earlier. Someone had shifted my bag. I had slung it over my chair before going to the meeting but when I came in to get those tea bags, it was on my desk. This whole thing was a bloody set-up. And there was only one person who was mean enough to do it.

I looked up at her, my eyes cold. "Somebody wants to frame me."

She raised an eyebrow. "Don't put the blame on others, Kaoru."

"It's up to you whether you want to believe me or not. And I'm saying this for the last time. I did not do it," I say, emphasizing every word.

Just then, Kenshin stepped in. "Kaoru, you are suspended for three days while we investigate this matter."

"Fine," I answer, evenly. "Oh, and you can go to that stupid dinner yourself, because I never wanted to go with you in the first place." I know I sounded pretty pathetic and childish, but was I couldn't believe everyone doubted me.

With that, I hurriedly shoved all my belongings back into my bag and stalked out of the office, not wanting anybody to see the tears that were pricking my eyes.

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry again about Misao popping up, but that does seem like misao to just randomly come up. this chapter was really hard to write so i hope i don't come across some thing like this again, decided new characters is a pain in the butt. the things i do for my readers. 

ok that was a long chapter, longest one yet, twice as much as normally. I may have one more this long, but anyways.

**Next chapter**: Does Kaoru get fired? Is she framed? By who, and will the truth ever be revealed or will Kenshin doubted her? Kiyosato's (is that how u spell Akira's last name?) Party, another disaster.

**MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY READERS, THIS ONE WAS LONG AS A CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR'S PRESENT.**

I'm off to write the next few chapters because I'll be crazy the moment school starts.


	9. Hatred III

**Important: **This chapter was a killer to write so to clear some things up, since these character may be confusing and some character seems to pop up from no where: **(clarification):**

**Aoshi** and **Kaoru** are pure siblings, both with last name of Kamiya. (Shinomori Aoshi does not exist there…sorry)

**Akira** (**Kiyosato**) is their cousin, related to their mother side.

**Uncle Kiyosato**: um… not Akira's father, just an uncle to all three, Aoshi, Kaoru and Akira.

**Uncle Shinomori**: a direct uncle of Aoshi and Kaoru though he doesn't live near them.

**Sanosuske**: remember chapter 2 or was it 3? He meets Kaoru in High school as a transfer student who's one of her first friends there.

**Soujiro** is cousin to Akira on Akira's father side, thus not related to Kaoru at all.

FIRST UPDATE OF THE YEAR 2006!

* * *

**Chapter 9:  
****Hatred III**

I walked along the streets towards my car, furiously wiping away my tears. I bleeped my car open and got in, closing my eyes and resting my head on the steering wheel. After composing myself, I revved up the engine, stepped on the accelerator and guided my car to Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Corporations.

I swerved into one of the parking spaces specially reserved for the President and the directors of the corporation. The security guard made his way towards me, no doubt telling me to park elsewhere, just as I was getting out of my car.

"Miss, you can't park here," he says.

"Mou, don't you remember me?" I ask, flashing him a grin. He took a good look at me and his jaw dropped open when recognition finally dawned on him.

"Miss Kamiya, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you," he answered, bowing slightly.

"It's alright. No harm done. You were just doing your job."

I walked up the steps and entered the large building. The insides of the building were impressively done, with marble floors and glass windows. Right in the center of the concourse floor was a water fountain, and if you were to tilt your head upwards, you would be able to see outside, through the skylight. I headed towards the elevators and pressed the button for the 36th floor. When the doors shut themselves, I closed my eyes and leaned against the walls. What was I going to tell the guys?

I walked up to Aoshi's secretary's desk, only to find that she was nowhere in sight. Not bothering to wait for her to return, I made my way over to Aoshi's room and knocked on his door softly. After a few more knocks and still no reply from him, I pushed the doors open slowly, only to find that the room was empty. I closed them behind me, and made myself comfortable in his tastefully decorated room.

After what seemed like hours, I had finished off more than three cups of coffee and read every single magazine that Aoshi has in his room. Due to my boredom, I had even gone to the extent of arranging all his files and documents in alphabetical order. I was sitting in his chair playing solitaire on his laptop when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Before I could even move a muscle, the doors flung open and Aoshi stood there, frozen at the sight of me.

"Hey, Aoshi!" I say, getting up from his chair and bouncing over to him. "Surprised?"

"What are you doing here?" he asked, delighted.

"Long story. I'll explain later."

Just then, a middle-aged man entered the room. He took one look at me and grinned.

"Crystal studded hair clips. You must be Miss Kamiya Kaoru."

"Uncle Kiyosato!" I cried, running over to him to give him a hug. "It's been so long since I last saw you!"

"That's true. So, how have you been?" he asks, leading me over to the couches, with Tae following suit.

"Fine, thanks!"

"Aoshi's been telling me a lot of things about you."

"No doubt, all the bad stuff," I say, pinching Aoshi lightly on the arm.

Uncle Kiyosato is probably one of the closest people to me, after dad died. I have always looked up to him as a fatherly figure because he always took great care of both Aoshi and I after that fateful day. Whenever we had problems or anything, he would always be there to listen to us and help us find the solution.

"Well, I did hear from him that you were going to attend the dinner this Friday," he says, smiling at me, "with a certain someone."

I could feel myself blushing. "I might not go after all. Some things have come up. Which reminds me, how come you gave Aoshi an invitation but you never gave me one?"

He raised his eyebrows. "I did invite you! If you actually bothered to look at the card, you would see that it's addressed to Mr. Kamiya Aoshi and Ms. Kamiya Kaoru. And I don't care what your reasons are, I want to see you at the dinner this Friday. No excuses."

I pouted. "What if I still don't go?"

"Then I'll come and personally drag you there," he says, laughing.

After Uncle Kiyosato had left, we made our way towards Akira and Soujiro's room, which were also located on the same floor. Then, all four of us piled into Aoshi's car and we sped off to a nearby café.

"How come you got off from work so early?" asks Soujiro, blowing at his cup of cappuccino.

"You guys told me to get off from work early today!"

"When I meant early, I didn't mean at around 2 o'clock! I was thinking more to 4.30!" replies Soujiro.

I giggled. "Oh well."

"So, Kaoru, why did you tell Uncle Kiyosato that you might not be attending the dinner?" asks Aoshi.

At his words, both Akira and Soujiro dropped whatever they were eating and stared intently at me.

"Oh, um, something came up."

"Which is?" Aoshi prodded. "Don't even think of trying to lie to me, little sis."

I let out a frustrated sigh, and told them everything. From me getting framed, to my suspension from work and my suspicions of who could have done it.

"I knew something like this was going to happen," says Soujiro, biting into his sushi crossly.

"Why didn't you tell her who you were? If you did, I'm sure she'd swallow her words in an instant. You have more money than she could ever hope make in her whole lifetime. In fact, I'm sure you could buy a million of those watches and still have enough money left over for three generations!" says Akira.

I lobbed a crumpled up tissue paper at Akira. "Come on, you guys, lighten up. It's no big deal. I mean I know I didn't do it. And the truth is bound to come out sooner or later."

All this while, Aoshi had been sitting quietly, thinking to himself. "I would personally like to meet this Tomoe girl. But don't worry, I won't do anything to her. I just want to know what she really is like," he added quickly after seeing my expression. "Anyway, don't think you're going to be able to weasel out of this dinner. Uncle Kiyosato is really hoping that you would be there and you don't want to let him down, do you? Besides, Akira and Soujiro got invitations too and it would be great if we could all go together. Alright, Kaoru?"

I bit my bottom lip and thought for a while, then nodded my head slowly, bringing a smile to their faces.

* * *

"I would like to try on that pale yellow dress with the crystal studded butterfly in the left corner," says Tomoe. 

"Oh, that dress has already been bought by someone else, miss," the sales girl replied.

"What? But it's just hanging over there, behind the counter!"

"Someone has reserved it. He'll be coming to collect it later."

"Do you have another dress similar to that one?"

"I'm sorry, miss. That dress is the only one that we have. It's one of a kind. Nobody else has it."

"You don't understand," snapped Tomoe. "I have a dinner this evening and I want that dress."

"I'm sorry but we can't do anything about it. Why don't you try on a different dress?" asks the sales girl helpfully.

"I don't want to try on any other dress. I want that one!" she pouted and complained.

Just then, the little bell hanging over the door jingled, and a tall, good-looking man stepped into the store. He gave Tomoe a small smile, then turned towards the sales girl.

"Is the dress ready yet?" he asks.

"Yes, sir. If you would just give me a few minutes while I wrap it up for you," replies the girl, rushing to the back of the counter, and taking the dress off its hangers.

"Look, mister, I don't know who you are and you don't know who I am but I was just wondering, would it be alright if you bought another dress? I have a formal function tonight and I really want that dress that you're buying," says Tomoe, putting on a sweet smile.

He turned to look at her with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, miss, but I can't do that. You see, I'm buying this dress for a very special person. After everything that had happened to her over the past few days, I'm sure she would be really pleased to receive this dress."

"I'll pay you more than what you paid for the dress," she pleaded.

"No can do, miss. I'm sorry," he says, paying for the dress, then turned on his heel and walked out of the store, as Tomoe stared after him in disgust.

* * *

"Kaoru! I'm home!" yelled Aoshi, as I bounded down the stairs to greet him. 

"Oooooooh, what have you got in that bag?"

"Your dress," he says, handing the carrier bag over to me.

I took the box out of the bag and opened it. "Mou," I breathed. "It's beautiful."

It really was beautiful. It was pale yellow with crystal-studded butterflies in one corner. It is held up by two thin straps and fell about in soft folds just slightly above the knees.

"Now, we'll just have to call Shishio(haha I know I know!) over to help get your hair and make-up done," says Aoshi, smiling at me.

Ever since Shishio was in a tragic accident where his car blew up, his face been destroyed along with the rest of his body. He didn't care though, it just made him in love playing with other girl's faces. Actually, to think of it, he's a pretty famous designer.

I winced. "Must we?"

"Yup!" he says, reaching for his cell phone.

Moments later, Shishio had arrived with a crew of six people, carrying kits of all kinds. He sat me down on a chair and draped a large black cloth, which covered me from my neck downwards.

"Wait, Shishio!" I yell, lifting my hand up. "Before you do anything to me, I just want to tell you three things that you cannot do to my hair. No cutting, no coloring and no perming. Deal?"

He pushed my head to the side gently. "Spoilsport."

As he went about fixing my hair, his crew of people applied make-up on me, gave me a manicure and a pedicure. I felt rather pampered at all the attention given to me. After an hour, they stood back to let me look at myself in the mirror. I was pretty surprised at my reflection. I didn't look that bad after all. They had applied very faint make-up, giving me a very natural look. My hair was stylishly made up, with sprinkles of glitter over them. One of the crew had gone through my jewelry case and had chosen a pair of silver hoop earrings to clasp onto my ear. I turned to look at Shishio who was grinning at me, and gave him the thumbs up.

Next, Aoshi ushered me into my room to put on the dress. I slipped it on and found that it was a perfect fit. The dress was made of a very smooth and silky material, which clung to my body like second skin, accentuating all my curves. After I was done, I opened the door to find the guys already dressed up in their own tuxedos and were leaning against the wall, waiting for me to come out.

"How do I look?" I ask, giving them a little twirl.

"Wonderful."

"Fabulous."

"Beautiful."

I grinned at them. "Thanks! Let's go."

We spent another ten minutes picking out my shoes, finally deciding on a pair of black strapped heels. When we were all ready, we piled into two different cars, me and Aoshi in one, and Akira and Soujiro in the other. Not before long, we pulled up at the entrance of the hotel.

* * *

I held on to Aoshi's arm as we entered the hall for the cocktail party. To say I was nervous was putting it mildly. I, for one, was definitely not looking forward to meeting Kenshin here. His accusing words still rang over and over again in my head whenever I thought about the incident. And I still had the impossible task of informing everyone who knew me to pretend that I was not Kamiya Aoshi's sister. I groaned slightly. 

"Kamiya Aoshi! Kaoru! You guys made it. And so did Akira and Soujiro," says Uncle Kiyosato, making his way towards us, a smile on his face. He took a step backwards and surveyed me from head to toe. "You look beautiful, Kaoru."

I could feel my cheeks getting hot. "Thanks, Uncle Kiyosato. You don't look too bad either."

He laughed. "Make yourselves comfortable alright? I'll be with you in a second."

"Oh, Uncle Kiyosato, there's a favor that I would like to ask from you," I say, twisting my fingers.

"What is it, dear?"

"Um, could you, like, pretend that Aoshi and I are not brothers and sisters?"

"Why?" he asks, bewildered.

"You see, I'm working for the Hiten Mitsurugi Corporations now to gain experience and I don't really want the President finding out that I'm the sister of the President of Kasshin Kamiya Ryu Corporations. It would just complicate matters. So, would you help me? Pretty please?"

He shook his head and sighed. "I should have known that you were going to do something like this. Alright, I'll do it. And don't worry about the other people who might recognize you. I'll fill them in about the whole thing."

I gave him a relieved smile. "Thanks, Uncle Kiyosato. I owe you one."

"Now, you guys go ahead and enjoy yourselves tonight. You and I both know that you all need it," he says and all of us nodded our heads at him.

"Presenting, Mr. Kamiya Aoshi, Ms. Kamiya Kaoru, Mr. Kiyosato Akira and Mr. Seta Soujiro," came the emcee's voice as we descended the stairs to the ballroom. (A/N You would think they would realize Aoshi and Kaoru was related, but lets pretend Kamiya was a popular surname.)

Oh my God. This is so embarrassing. I could feel my face flush as everyone turned around to look at us. Why does Uncle Kiyosato have to hire someone to announce your presence? I lifted my gaze up from the floor when we reached the bottom of the stairs and scanned the room.

"Aoshi and Kaoru, how have you been?" says a voice behind us. We both whirled around simultaneously.

"Uncle Shinomori!" I say, giving him a hug as Aoshi smiled and shook his hand.

"What's this I hear about us having to pretend that you, Kaoru, is not related to Aoshi, but you're supposed to be his friend at this dinner?"

"Oh, Uncle Kyosato told you already?"

"Yes, he did. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, he went around murmuring that in everybody's ears. Assuming a double identity, eh, Kaoru?"

I gave a little laugh. "Kinda."

Just then, the emcee's voice boomed across the whole ballroom, telling us to sit down at our assigned tables because the dinner was about to start. The four of us made our way towards our table, which happened to be one of the VVIP tables, located in the front. We finally spotted it and as I was pulling my chair out, the chairs opposite mine made a loud scraping sound against the wooden floors as it was being pulled out too. I raised my head with a smile, but it disappeared almost immediately. Because there, in front of me, stood Kenshin, with Tomoe latched onto his arm.

The dinner went smoothly, if not a little quietly at our table. Another four people had taken their seats at our table and they were the ones who were talking most of the time. Although my gazed was fixed on my food most of the time, I could feel the tension at our table. And whenever I did look up, Tomoe would shoot daggers at me. I was so glad when they announced that we could leave our table and mingle with everyone else for a while before proceeding on to the dance floor, that I practically jumped out of my seat.

"You know, Kao-chan, I met that Tomoe girl at the store where I bought your dress," says Aoshi.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Oh really? What happened?"

"She wanted to buy your dress but I declined."

Now I understood why she kept glaring at me. Just then, a group of people came up to Aoshi. I bowed at them slightly and moved away, allowing them the privacy and space that they needed. Soujiro and Aoshi were nowhere in sight, no doubt, gone to flirt with some girls. As I stood in one corner surveying the crowd, a pair of warm hands covered my eyes.

"Guess who," he says.

I removed his hands from my eyes and turned around to face him. My eyes widened in shock and surprise.

"Sanosuske!" I squealed, throwing my arms around him, as he laughed.

"Still the little girl I know, eh?" he says, pinching me lightly on the nose.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, composing myself.

"Meet the future President of Sagara Corporations, Mr. Sagara Sanosuske," he says proudly, grinning at me.

"You?"

"Who else?"

"I didn't know you were that capable!" I laugh as he shot me a hurt look.

"By the way, where's Sou-chan?"

"Somewhere around here. Probably flirting with some girl. You know, Sano, you should cut your hair," I say, eyeing his long hair. He used to have rooster hair but he let it grow out and now it just look like a furry animal sitting on his head.

"No."

"But it makes you look like a girl!"

"No."

"Plus, it's practically covering half your whole face."

"No."

"And you're probably wasting a lot of money buying shampoos and conditioners."

"No."

"But yo—"

"No."

"Let me finish wha—"

"No."

I threw my hands up into the air and sighed. "Fine. Be that way." Just then, a slow song boomed through the speakers and people began pairing up to dance. Sano threw a sideways glance at me and raised his eyebrows while I inched away from him, slowly.

"No, Sano. No. No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no."

"Come on, Kaoru. Just one dance. That's all I ask," he said, moving closer towards me.

"No! Let go," I muttered, trying to free my wrist from his grasp as he pulled me onto the dance floor. "Mou, I can't dance, Sano, and you know that," I mumbled, trying desperately to get off the dance floor.

In one swift motion he curved his arm around my waist and pulled me close. The fingers of my right hand held gently on to his left while my other hand rested on his shoulder. My whole body felt stiff as we started to dance, my feet constantly bumping into his.

"I told you I didn't know how to dance!" I hissed staring down at my awkward feet, my face flushed red with embarrassment.

"Don't look down," he said as we continued to sway. "It's easier if you keep your head up." He twirled me around a couple of times and I stumbled a little, trying to regain my balance. This wasn't so bad after all, I thought as I began to get the hang of it.

"You're doing pretty well for a beginner," he says, smiling down at me.

"I learned from the best, you know," I say, laughing.

"Well, that's quite true." He gave me a cocky grin.

Suddenly, somebody bumped into me from behind, making me stumble a little. I stopped dancing and turned around, only to lock gazes with Kenshin.

"Sorry," he says, shrugging his shoulders, then turning back to face Tomoe. I stared after them in utter disbelief, as Sano led me off the dance floor.

"I didn't know the ice prince and ice princess was here too," he say, handing me a glass of red wine which he had whisked off the tray of a passing waiter.

"Ice prince and ice princess?" I ask, cocking my head.

"Kenshin and Tomoe," he answered, winking at me and taking a sip of his wine.

Just then, his cell phone rang and he excused himself to answer the call. I stood there alone, taking small sips from my glass and looking out onto the dance floor. I didn't notice Tomoe making her way towards me, also holding a glass of red wine, until she was practically in my face.

"Hello, Kaoru. I wasn't expecting to see you here," she said, assessing me from head to toe.

"Yeah, well, I got an invitation from Uncle Kiyosato and I thought I might as well come since I didn't have anything planned," I answered in a cool tone.

"Well, just out of curiosity, where did you get the dress from? It looks positively hideous," she says snidely.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh really? Funny. My br—I mean, my friend claims that he saw you in the same store where this dress is from and he told me a very interesting story. He said that you were so desperate to get this particular dress that you even offered to pay more for it. I believe you've already met him too. He was sitting on my right throughout dinner just now." I could see the muscles in her jaw tighten dangerously.

"He got the wrong person," she answered tightly.

"Oh? Maybe I should call him over and ask, eh?"

She glared at me. "Don't mess with me, Kaoru, or else."

"Or else, what?" I challenged.

To my horror, she took a step backwards but at the same moment tilted her glass a fraction of an inch, causing red wine to splash all over the front of her white silk dress. Then, throwing me a menacing smile, she let out an ear-piercing shriek that reverberated throughout the entire room.

* * *

**A/N** if you didn't catch that, she spilt red wine on her self making it look like Kaoru did it.;; her evil scheme number three. i ran out of characters to do her makeup/hair so i decided to throw in shishio just for the heck of it.. if it really throws off the story tell me and i'll change it to someone else. 

**Next Chappie**: Kenshin comes out of the shadow and experiences a small fraction of how harsh a Women's Battle can be. Want to see what happens when Kenshin finds out what Tomoe is truly like? What will happen to our kenshin who vows to never hit a female? Can he strain himself? How will Kenshin apologize to Kaoru?

**Review Answers:** i appricate all your reviews but i most people perfer me not to reply and waste space, so i will reply to questions in reviews only, but if u want me to reply just tell me, i'll give you a personal reply.

**blooded wyngs**: she didn't relaly have a date, but she'll pretend Soujiro's her date, but kenshin'll think sano is her date.

**Anonymous but very interested** : sorry about the confusion in POV. when i get the chance (in other words when i stop being lazy) i'll fix it. lol and no i don't drink anything but wine but no he doesn't have drinking problem just once in a while he likes to drink.. it's only a shot or two, for him it shouldn't be too bad, considering he grew up with hiko who lives on sake. the story will be pretty long, i'll say 25-35 chapters.

**forever angel:** i would love to tell you the matching, but i myself haven't decided. i will make them match up eventually but tomoe will destroy it and i haven't figured out the final matching yet.

**JovianShe-Wolf**: i'm hoping for a Kaoru and Kenshin as well, but if something really good pops up i may make it into another matching. but if you realy want to know, yes i think it will be KxK most of them time (can't say 100 they'll end up together).

**kkfan**: a lot of people asked me the same thing, why kenshin just randomly fell for kaoru... i'll put it in later chapters also but it was because she was the only one who had such high spirit and genuine. and all the other good things that will be explained later.


	10. The Beginning

**Review replies: **just making this clear, i will only reply to ones that have questions or if i feel tht i'm giving the wrong idea. so don't kill me.

LORD-BIG-DOGGIE: Kenshin in this is more battousai than the rurouni we all know. and tomoe... ya i have no excuse, i wanted to be a tomoe v.s evil megumi but i do like KxK more.

Firalyn Tiatra: i meant VIP tables. and uh, well kenshin bumped into her on purpose, u'll find out why and other details in this chapter.

Anonymous but very interest... : so far i have no decide on what will happen to Tomoe. and my new year wish was that i would get less assignments so i'l have more time to update my story. ;;

Karmen : Kenshin's going to find out... now... just read on and he's gonna have a fit.

cherryblossom3: well lets say she's going to be innocent after this.

kkfan : i was thinking that, but letting kenshin see it would spoil the suspense so instead it's going to be inferred. ah i dunno what i'm saying, just read and i think it'll be explained. a day of school is what happens to me, thank god i wrote this yesterday

antica: evil ideas? lol from where else? ME! so don't u mess with me, or i'll turn those ideas on u. . hehe jk

animegurl23 : she'll do anything to get kaoru in trouble... these evil actions are nothing compared to what i plan on next. they just get worse and worse.. hehe they'll get bad to the point of being a criminal

royal blueKitsune: sorry i only reply to questions, but i'll try to keep in mind to reply to u if it makes u happy.

**A/N(Important)** those who do want to know the main pairing i will personaly reply to ur review if u leave a email address and ask for the pairing, because this will ruin the suspense at the end... so i don't want to post it in public. if u don't request for pairing i don't plan to put it up in my chapters. also i will be busy lately, so unless i get some weird extraordinary amount of request to update, i will see you all hopefully in two weeks. sorry.

* * *

**Chapter Ten:  
The Beginning**

The music ceased immediately and people turned to look at us.

"Why did you do it, Kaoru?" says Tomoe, feigning shock and sadness.

"I didn't! Honest! I wasn't even near her!" I say, turning to look at everyone.

"Why must you always do something to make me look bad, so that I won't upstage you?"

"I didn't do it! You and I both know what happened. You deliberately spilled the wine on yourself! Stop putting the blame on me!"

She shot me a pitiful gaze. "Kaoru, stop trying to lie your way out of this and embarrass yourself any further. Nobody is going to believe you. Why would I deliberately pour a glass of red wine over a thousand dollar dress?"

Murmurs were heard from the people around us and I closed my eyes in utter disbelief. I knew that no matter what I say or do, nobody is going to believe me. I mean, what she said is pretty true. Who would throw a thousand dollars into the drain just like that? I know I wouldn't. When I opened my eyes again, I could see Aoshi, Akira and Soujiro pushing their way towards the front of the crowd. Kenshin was already standing next to Tomoe, gently wiping away her tears. I couldn't even bring myself to look up at him. Just then, Sano spoke up from behind me.

"I can vouch that she didn't do it."

By now, the guys had already reached my side and Aoshi put a protective arm around me. As I looked at the sea of faces around us, I saw Aoshi's icy eyes glaring at Kenshin and Tomoe, Akira's eyes were shinning with confusion and Soujiro's warm brown eyes looking into my own pool of blue. I suddenly feel so tired. I had no more energy left in me to go through an ordeal like this. I put my hand on Sano's arm to stop him from saying anything more.

"Don't, Sano. I know you mean well, but it's no use. The damage has already been done." Then I turned to the guys and said in a very small voice. "Let's just go home."

Aoshi guided me out of the ballroom with Akira and Soujiro in tow. Sano threw Tomoe one last glare as he walked me out. I wasn't in the mood to talk, and I was glad that Aoshi didn't ask me anything. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze, telling me without words that he believed me and that everything was going to be all right.

Once at home, I took off my shoes and headed upstairs to my room, without saying anything. I turned on the shower and hopped into the bathtub, washing away all the make-up and hair gel that Shishio and his crew had applied onto my face and hair. After I was done, I toweled myself and changed into a pair of comfortable sweats and a t-shirt, before plopping myself down on my bed. Up until now, I was surprised that I had managed to keep my tears from falling. I closed my eyes for while, and just lay there, silently. I could hear the guys' worried voices next door, no doubt, talking about me. I ran my fingers through my wet hair, then hopped off the bed and made my way to Aoshi's room, where they were all huddled.

"Hey," I say, going over to sit cross-legged next to Aoshi on his huge bed. There was an uncertain silence before Soujiro spoke up.

"You alright, Kao?" he asked, looking at my face.

"I would be lying if I said I am."

"If it makes you feel any better, we know you didn't do it. You're just not capable of doing something mean like that. I'm sure most of the guests over there thought the same thing too," says Akira, giving me a small smile.

I gave him a feeble smile in return. "Thanks guys. That means a lot to me." I drew in a shaky breath that immediately, helplessly, tuned into a sob. Suddenly, tears were streaming down my face.

"Kaoru?" asked Aoshi in alarm, it was so rare to see his sister cry in front of anyone.

"It's nothing. Don't worry. I just do—" I trailed off as a fresh flood of tears came.

"Shhhhh. It's all right. Stop crying, okay?" says Akira, wiping away my tears.

"Yeah. If you don't stop you'll get wrinkles and look like a granny faster," says Akira, squeezing my hand.

"Come on, Kao. Don't cry. You'll make me want to cry too," says Soujiro, with sad puppy eyes. I giggled through my tears at his comical expression.

"Yesss! She laughed! Did you guys see that? I made her laugh! Me. Seta Soujiro," he said punching his fist into the air.

"So, does this mean you're feeling better?" asks Aoshi, smiling at me.

"Yes, I'll be fine," I say, smiling at all of them. It may be a lie, but it was a lie that we all needed to hear at the moment, I'll have to be strong, if not for myself, then for them.

* * *

Back in the ballroom, the crowd began to disperse leaving Sano facing Kenshin and Tomoe.

"I'll just go and clean myself up a little, then we can leave," Tomoe said sweetly to Kenshin.

At her words, Kenshin just nodded his head. The moment she turned her back on them, Sano took a few steps forward until he was directly in front of Kenshin, his dark eyes boring into Kenshin's golden ones.

"You know that Kaoru didn't do it."

Kenshin shifted uneasily, not knowing what to say or do. He couldn't be sure, but it looked to him like Tomoe had spilled the wine on herself. The thought had crossed his mind several times. Why? Because Kaoru's glass was still filled whereas Tomoe's glass was almost empty. But Tomoe couldn't be that cruel, could she?

"No matter what Tomoe has said to you, deep down, you know that Kaoru didn't do it."

His eyes hardened. "How would you know?"

"In all the years that I have known her, from high school up to now, I am certain that she is not the kind of

person who would inflict hurt on other people. Her soft heart is just not capable of such things. I'm surprised at you Kenshin. I expected you to know better."

"And why would I know about these things?" he snapped.

"Because you like her."

Kenshin laughed mirthlessly while Sano just looked at him in amusement. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sano."

"You can deny it. In fact, you can deny it forever if you want. But you and I both know the truth. If you didn't like her, you wouldn't keep glancing at her out of the corners of your eyes, thinking that none of us would notice. You wouldn't clench your fists so hard seeing her talking and laughing with another guy. You wouldn't deliberately bump into her while she is dancing with someone else. Do I have to say more?" asks Sano, raising his eyebrows. (GO SANO, WHOOP SOME SENSE INTO KENSHIN)

"Why are you keeping tabs on me?" Kenshin asks quietly, then narrows his eyes. "You're not interested in her, are you?"

"That's solely for me to know. Right now, I just want to tell you something. All you have to do is just to listen, and listen well. You are not the only one, nor the first person to have feelings for Kaoru. There are many eligible guys out there who have shown her just how they feel about her. If you're going to keep up that attitude of yours, I believe you're going to lose in the competition."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I know that you've had feelings for her ever since we were in high school."

Kenshin was silent for a moment. "It must have been pretty obvious, huh?"

"Not really. Let's just say I notice things that other people don't. By the way, I know what happened between Kaoru and Tomoe in the office and how you handled the whole situation. If you want to find out what really happened, check the security cameras. I'm sure a corporation as big and successful as yours would have installed them everywhere. Funny how you haven't thought of that before. One more last thing, if I ever hear anything about you hurting Kaoru in any way, you can be sure I won't give you any more chances. I've given you enough to prove yourself to her. A sweet girl like her doesn't deserve someone who can't treat her well." With that, he turned on his heel and made his way through the crowd, leaving Kenshin to stare after him.

"Kenshin, we can leave now," says Tomoe, coming to stand by his side, linking arms with him. Kenshin turned to look at her, his eyes scanning her face.

"Sure."

When he reached her house, he cut off the car engine, then closed his eyes and leaned against the headrest while Tomoe fidgeted with the hem of her dress. Neither of them spoke for a moment.

"Tomoe, did you pour the glass of wine on yourself, to deliberately frame Kaoru for it?" asks Kenshin, his voice icy, as he turned his head to look at her profile.

"Why would I want to do something as low down as that, Kenshi? This dress doesn't come cheap you know. I don't know what Sanosuske had said to you while I was gone, but whatever it is, I didn't do it."

"Then why was Kaoru's glass still full while yours was almost empty? If she had poured the wine on you, won't her glass be the one that's empty instead of yours?"

Tomoe looked out of the car window, desperately trying to think of a logical explanation. "I—I honestly don't know what you're talking about, Kenshin."

"Don't lie to me, Tomoe. You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. Didn't you think that other people would have noticed that little point? Didn't you think that they, too, would have found it weird?"

"Are you trying to say that I did it, Kenshin? Are you accusing me of doing it?" she asks, turning in her seat to face him, her eyes slanted into slits.

"Yes." A stern one, a word that shattered her mask.

She was a little taken aback by his answer. His face was stretched taut and his voice was so cold that she shivered a little. Not wanting to be under his accusing stare any longer, she opened the door and stepped out into the chilly night.

"Fine. If you don't believe me, I can't do anything about it." She slammed the door as hard as she could, then walked across the gravel to her house, stumbling a little in her heels.

Kenshin sat in the car, looking at her retreating back in silence. Then, knowing that she had safely entered the confines of her own home, he sped off, heading towards Hiten Mitsurugi Corporations.

"Get me all the tapes which were recorded from the Marketing Department on Tuesday," says Kenshin to the security guard, who was working on overnight shift.

"Yes, sir."

When he had gotten all the tapes that he had asked for, he went back to his own office located on the 30th floor. He poured himself a glass of vodka, popped a tape into his VCR and settled himself comfortably in his chair.

After a few hours of numerous fast forwards, his eyes suddenly widened at what he saw on the television screen. He leaned forward in his chair, while he pressed the button to slow down the video. He rewound the tape and watched the same scene for three times, just to be sure. Then, after ejecting the tape, he leaned back and rubbed his face.

* * *

I groaned as the incessant ringing of my cell phone woke me up from my slumber. Drowsily reaching for my phone,I flipped it open and mumbled a hello.

"Haalloow?" in between a yarn.

"Good morning. May I speak to Kamiya Kaoru, please?" said a smooth voice on the other end of the line which I did not recognize at all.

I jerked my head up almost immediately and checked the number on the screen only to find that it was an unfamiliar number.

"This is Kamiya Kaoru speaking. May I know who's on the line?" I asked, fully awake now.

"Himura Kenshin."

"Oh," I muttered, a little deflated. "What do you want?" the voice so cold that I didn't even recognize.

There was an uncertain pause before he spoke. "Meet me in my office at 8.30 later in the morning. This is regarding the incident that occurred on Tuesday."

"Sure."

"Alright then. I'll see you later."

"Right."

I flipped my phone shut after he had hung up, wondering how he had managed to catch hold of my number. I glanced over at the clock on my table and groaned. Forty-five minutes till 8.30. I laid back down onto my pillow and burrowed deeper under the warm comforters, my eyes closing. Just five more minutes, I thought to myself, slipping into slumber once again.

"Kao, wake up."

I stirred a little, and opened my eyes slowly.

"Morning, sleepyhead," says Aoshi, kissing me on the forehead.

"What time is it?" I ask, yawning.

"8.15."

I rubbed my eyes, then got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. While I was halfway through brushing my teeth, my eyes suddenly widened and my toothbrush fell with a clatter into the sink.

"What time did you say it was again, Aoshi-sama?" I yell, running to my wardrobe and randomly pulling out clothes.

"Now it's 8.20. Why in such a rush?"

"MOU! I've got a meeting at 8.30 in the morning!" I replied, my voice a little muffled as I changed in the bathroom.

"And you only wake up now? Aish!" says Aoshi, packing my things into my bag.

As I put on my coat and scarf, he helped me brush my hair and pinned a pair of crystal-studded hairclips onto it. I greeted Akira and Soujiro as I dashed down the stairs, hurriedly put on my shoes and kissed Aoshi on the cheek before I ran towards my car and sped off, not bothering to eat my breakfast.

It was already 9 o'clock by the time I reached the building and I made a mad dash for the elevators. Once inside, I doubled over, clutching my hips, trying to catch my breath back. When the doors opened on the 30th floor, I made a beeline for Yumi's desk.

"Himura-san wanted to see me at 8.30," I say, panting a little.

"Oh yes, Kamiya-dono. Please have a seat. He'll be seeing you in a while."

I crashed onto one of the chairs nearby, glad that I could finally rest.

In Himura's office.

"Tomoe do you know why I called you here this morning?" he asked while his head was still looking down at some files, his bangs covering his eyes.

"Take me out to lunch?" She replied innocently.

"Your watch, you do remember what happened on Tuesday, right?" His voice stern, with no room for objection.

"Why are you bringing that up?" Tomoe's voice wavering as it increased several notches.

He slowly raised his head, showing Tomoe what he's been hiding. Even she couldn't look him in the eyes after seeing what was there, fierce anger, dangerously cold. It wasn't his normal eye color, not the ones that were trotting in the middle of purple and golden, mixed with emotion, but rather a pure gold. Never has she seen something so beautiful… and so terrifying.

"Why did you lie to me? even more why did you frame Kaoru?" His voice was dangerously low as he walked closer to her with her back up until her back was to the wall.

"You have no proof, why do you blame me? WHY DO YOU ALWAYS TAKE THAT GIRL, KAORU'S SIDE?"

He threw back his head and laughed, a laugh that sent chills down everyone who heard it.

"You're pathetic, you want proof? Take this."

Kenshin grabbed the tape on top of the TV and slammed it down on the desk in front of Tomoe with such force that she even jumped. He lifted his hand as he was about to strike the woman who has her head bowed whispering out a confession.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to go this far, but… I love you, I really do. I'm just jealous, I'm sorry. You made me fall in love with you and without you I have nothing left." Her words, for once held sincerity.

So much truth enough to melt Kenshin's anger. He looked at his hand wondering what he was about to do, he almost made the same mistake in high school. He almost lost control. With no more words to come to mind he couldn't face Tomoe like this anymore. Understanding part of her troubles he decided to forgive Tomoe, just this time, this last time.

(Kenshin is Kenshin after all, he has his soft side with women, though now he feels kind of disgusted with Tomoe's jealousy)

"Do not do something like this again. You are dismissed." Kenshin said still looking at his hand, the same one that struck Kaoru five years ago.

Tomoe turned around to start walking out of his large office as he picked up the phone to call for Yumi to send for Kaoru.

While out side waiting I ran my fingers self consciously through my wind blown hair, in an attempt to straighten them. Thinking about what happened the last time we were in Tomoe's office made me blush a little. Just then, Yumi came up to me, breaking into my daydreams.

"Himura would like to see you now."

I gave her a smile and thanked her, then made my way through the now familiar hallway that led to his room. I had only walked a few paces when I saw Tomoe exit from his room. The moment she turned away from the door, she stopped short and glared at me. We stared at each other silently, our eyes slanted and our arms folded across our chest. Then, she broke off the gaze and walked past me, her shoulders brushing hard against mine, making me stumble backwards a little.

I rapped sharply on the door, then waited patiently, one shoulder propped up against the doorframe. After a lot of shuffling around from inside the room, I heard him call out, "Come in." I pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped in, my shoes sinking a little into the thick, plush carpet. I bowed slightly when I reached the front of his table.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked in a small voice, my gaze fixed on his tabletop.

"Yes. Please have a seat."

I sat down stiffly opposite him and twisted my fingers together. After a long uncomfortable silence, I decided to speak first.

"So…"

"There…" he said at the same time.

I gave him a small smile. "You go first. Mine isn't of any importance."

He cleared his throat before starting. "We've managed to find the culprit who took Tomoe's watch."

"Oh," I say, not in the least bit surprised. "That's great."

He looked at me strangely. "Don't you want to know who it is?"

I shook my head slightly. "There's no need for that. I think I already know who did it."

"Right. I believe you do."

We lapsed into another uncomfortable silence.

"Anyway," he began, "I wanted to apologize to you. For not believing that you didn't do it."

"It's no biggie. Don't worry," I say, smiling at him.

"So, if there isn't anything else, you may go back to work now."

"Okay. Thanks," I say getting out of my seat.

"Oh, by the way, how come you were at the Kiyosato's dinner party on Friday?"

I froze at his words. "Oh…um…" I say, racking my brains for an explanation. "You see, Soujiro got an invitation and he asked me to accompany him."

"Really? Where is he working now?"

"The Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu Corporations," I answered proudly.

"What about Sagara Sanosuske?"

"Sano? I didn't know you spoke with him. He'll be taking over Sagara Corporations pretty soon."

"Oh. Right. You may leave now. Thanks."

"Wait. You know that incident that happened on that night? The one where I supposedly spilled wine over Tomoe's dress? I didn't do it. She deliberately spilled it over her own dress."

His face hardened almost immediately. "Let's not talk about that. And please do not tell anybody who had taken the watch. It might tarnish her reputation and she will be stripped of all respect."

"She should have thought of the consequences before doing it," I retorted icily, slamming the door to his room.

* * *

**A/N:** YAY KAORU'S NAME IS CLEARED. For those who would like to see Aoshi and Misao get together, I'm sorry but I don't have that planned, but I will try my best to make them meet and get together because this story is so based on Kenshin/Kaoru/Tomoe.

**Next chappie**: Tomoe just doesn't learn, she does something that ultimately break Kaoru. No matter how forgiving or how strong someone is, they all have a breaking point, and Kaoru's is coming up when Tomoe lashes out her anger. (this is not one of her hatred plan, just pure anger) **Big Drama coming up.**


	11. Exhausted

**A/N** one of my shorter ones, sorry. Well it was longer but I found that if I divide them up it'll make more sense…

and i know most of you all believe kaoru's strong and all, but everyone has a breaking point, if you were her and being attacked by tomoe constantly you'll break down after this scheme too... and sorry i'm really busy and haven't had the time to reply to ur reviews, i promise i'll add them in next time or something.

**Chapter 11:  
Exhausted

* * *

**

It was great to be able to see everyone else again and I was glad that they did not shun me because of that one incident. Encounters with Tomoe today were pretty scarce. Although I was constantly being pestered to reveal the identity of the culprit, I kept my mouth sealed. I didn't want to subject Tomoe to what I had to go through in high school before Soujiro entered the picture. I wouldn't wish that kind of treatment on anybody at all, no matter how mean they were to me.

At the end of the day, I bade everyone goodbye and headed over to the corporation's underground car park, where I had parked my car for convenience. I skipped happily towards my car, jingling my keys as I went. Suddenly, without warning, I jerked to a halt, after catching sight of my car.

My wrecked car.

The windscreen and all four of its windows were smashed, with pieces of glass littered all over the ground. The body of the car was dented badly in various places, probably hit with a baseball bat. As I neared it, I noticed that all four of its tires were punctured too. I leaned my forehead against the cool top of the car, close to tears. My brand new car! I barely had it for a week! After standing motionless for about twenty minutes, I resignedly pulled out my cell phone and rang up a tow truck company, telling them to pick up my damaged car.

I trudged down the streets, my head hung low and my body lifeless. What am I going to say to the guys? All the effort that they had put in to earn enough money so that they could get me this car had gone to waste. Just thinking about it made my throat clog up and tears began to sting my eyes again. As I make my way home it starts to rain, big splashy drops, which puddle in the gutters and drip off canopies. They spatter on my hot cheeks and wet my hair and make marks on my suede black boots. But I barely notice them. I was just too upset to care.

* * *

I entered the house, dripping wet, leaving behind a wet trail as I made my way across the living room. I looked up when I heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, bracing myself. Soujiro emerged from around the corner, and at the sight of me, the folder that he was holding dropped onto the floor as he ran over to look at me. 

"Where are the rest?" I ask quietly.

"Out. They won't be home so early. Come on, Kao. Go up and take a shower. Then we'll talk," he says, guiding me up the stairs, as his folder lay forgotten on the floor.

I took a long, hot shower and I could feel myself relax immensely as the warmth of the water surged through my cold body. After I was done, I toweled myself and put on a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved sweater, to keep myself warm. I carefully combed my wet hair, then padded my way across the carpet to Soujiro's room.

He was typing furiously on his laptop, but when I entered, he immediately stopped whatever he was doing and handed me a glass of water. Then he left the room, telling me that he had to get something from downstairs. I sat cross-legged on his king size bed, hugging a pillow to my chest. When he re-entered the room, he settled himself comfortably next to me on the bed and handed me a box of white chocolates. Managing a feeble grin, I gratefully accepted the chocolates and popped one into my mouth, savoring the taste. Thank God for Soujiro and his thoughtfulness. We just sat together in silence, eating the chocolates.

"So, would you like to tell me what's bothering you, or do you want to just talk about things for a while?"

I paused a little before answering. "Soujiro, would it be alright if we sat out on the roof?"

"Sure thing," he says, going over to open the large windows, letting himself out first, and then turning to me to assist me. After he was sure that I was safely seated on the roof, he ducked back inside his room for a few seconds, then reemerged with a thick blanket, which he wrapped around my shoulders. I looked up at the sky, mesmerized by all the stars twinkling against the dark background.

Without looking at him, I say, "My car got smashed up today."

I could see concern written all over his face. Not concern for the car, but for me.

"Are you okay, Kao? Did they hurt you?"

I turned to give him a small smile. "I'm fine, Sou-chan. I wasn't anywhere near the car when it happened."

"Thank goodness for that," he says, breathing a sigh of relief.

"You guys must have used a lot of money to get me the car, huh? And I couldn't even keep it properly for one whole week." I could feel the tears come again but I blinked them back furiously.

"Kao," says Soujiro, putting an arm around my shoulders. "It doesn't matter how much money we used. What matters most to all of us is that you're safe. That's what's important."

I leaned my head on his shoulder, letting the tears drop, one by one, as the stress from the events of the past few days all resurfaced at once.

* * *

I woke up the next morning feeling a little feverish, but nevertheless, I got dressed and headed downstairs to the kitchen to eat my breakfast. 

"Morning Aoshi. Morning guys," I say, yawning, as I took a seat at the table. I spread some butter onto a piece of toast, took a bite, the put it down again.

"Kao, are you alright?" asked Aoshi, concern evident in his eyes.

"Yeah. Don't worry. I just don't feel like eating. You guys go ahead without me," I say, taking a few sips of my orange juice.

"Anyway, Kao, do you still want to continue working at Hiten Mitsurugi Corporations after all that had happened to you?" asks Aoshi. "I really wish you'd come and work with us. That way, I can keep a look out for you and not worry my heart out all the time. Even Akira and Sou-chan worries about you constantly."

I was silent for a few moments, deep in thought. Finally, I said, "I'll think about it."

"Right. Take your time. There's no rush. Anyway, I've hired a driver for you. He will send you to work or anywhere you wish to go. He will be on standby at all times, until you come home. Apart from that, he will also act as your bodyguard and ensure that no harm comes to you while you're out."

"Um…don't you think that's overdoing it a bit?" I ask.

"Nope. Not at all. In the light of recent events, I don't think I'm overdoing it." Aoshi turned to look at me. "You're the only person I have left, Kaoru. If any harm comes to you, what am I going to do?"

I smiled warmly at him. "Thanks, Aoshi. I know you mean well…but do you think we could scrap the bodyguard thingy? I really don't want someone following me around everywhere. Please?"

He laughed and ruffled my hair. "Alright. If you insist."

"Please hold the lift!" I yell, running towards it, my arms loaded with files.

As the day wore on, I could feel myself being drained of energy and I was beginning to have a killer headache. My complexion had become chalky white and I was feeling awfully cold. I stumbled into the elevator, leaned my forehead against the walls and closed my eyes in the hopes that it would be able to stop the world from spinning around in my head.

As fate would have it, the elevator ground to a sudden halt and the lights overhead flickered for a little while. The only other person in the elevator began cursing under his breath. I could hear him yell into his cell phone to tell the management department to send people up to fix the problem and get him out of here. This wasn't the first time someone had got stuck in an elevator during a power cut. It usually took about two hours to get the whole system up and running again, and until then, the person was stuck inside there.

Too tired to continue standing, I slid onto the floor of the elevator, the files dropping out of my hands in the process. I hugged my knees to myself and buried my pounding head in my hands, wiping away the cold beads of perspiration that were beginning to form on my forehead.

"Kaoru," says the guy. "Are you okay?"

The voice sounded oddly familiar but I couldn't place my finger on who it belonged to. The pounding in my head became worse with each passing second, and I didn't even have the energy to raise my head to look at the guy. I shook my head slowly, as though I needed a lot of effort just to do that simple action.

I heard him mutter a string of colorful expletives under his breath, then felt a warm jacket being wrapped around my shivering body. Then, he positioned himself next to me so that I could rest my head on his shoulder. All I could think of before I drifted off to sleep was that when I was feeling well again, I had to thank this guy thoroughly, whoever he is.

* * *

Normal POV (well considering she's out cold) 

Kenshin sat there, staring down at her sleeping profile. Upon closer inspection, she wasn't as mature and fully bloomed as all the other model-like girls that he had dated before. Nevertheless, he still felt a deep attraction for her, though he hardly showed it.

He lifted his hand to brush her damp hair away from her forehead and froze, when she stirred. He let out the breath that he had been unconsciously holding when he felt her relax against him again.

He opened his eyes from his nap when he felt the elevator moving again. Carefully, without waking Kaoru, he lifted her up into his arms and carried her all the way to his car, ignoring everyone's curious stares as he went. There was only one thing on his mind right now and that was to get Kaoru to the hospital.

He drove as fast as he could, expertly weaving in and out of traffic. Bursting through the double doors that led into the hospital, he yelled to one of the nurses standing nearby to help him. He slumped down onto a seat nearby and loosened his tie after she had safely entered the doctor's room to be examined.

"Excuse me," says the doctor, coming out of the room. "Are you her family or relative?"

"Neither," he answered. "Anyway, how is she?"

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to speak directly with either her family members or her relatives."

"But…but…I sent her here. Can't you at least tell me what her condition is?" giving one of his desperate looks, he doesn't know it but he looks like a begging puppy when he does it.

The doctor looked torn. Finally, with a resigned sigh, he says, "Alright. She has a very high temperature and it seems that she hasn't been getting enough sleep in the past few days. If you would like to see her, she's in room 542."

Kenshin headed over to room 542, and knocked softly on the door, so that he would not wake her up in case she was sleeping. Hearing no response, he pushed the door open and let himself in, as quietly as he could. He stood there, looking at her fragile form on the bed feeling somewhat guilty not knowing why. Then, whipping out his cell phone, he punched in Soujiro's number.

* * *

Soujiro jogged down the hallway, frantically searching for room 542. He flung the door open and ran over to the bed only to find that Kaoru was sleeping. He placed his palm over her forehead and immediately pulled his hand back, after realizing how hot it was. He pulled the blankets up higher, tucking it securely under her chin. 

Then, turning to Kenshin, he says in a very cold voice, "Let's go out."

"What happened?" asked Soujiro, his voice steely.

"The elevator broke down and we were trapped inside it. Suddenly, she just crouched down in a corner and after I realized that she wasn't feeling well, I sent her here immediately as soon as the system started working again."

"This is all your fault, do you know that? If it weren't for you and that stupid cow who goes by the name of Tomoe, Kaoru wouldn't be in here at all."

"Take back what you just said, Soujiro," Kenhin says, his voice low and menacing.

Although both him and Tomoe were no longer together, he still felt protective towards her. He hated people who insulted her, especially when they say it right to his face.

"No," says Soujiro firmly, and at his words, Kenshin's fist came flying at him.

Thanks to his quick reflexes, Soujiro was able to duck from the punch. Regaining his balance, he shoved Kenshin as hard as he could by the shoulders.

"What gives you the right to hit me? Huh? What?" Both guys stared at each other, their face full of hatred.

(Get ready for a list of accusation that Kenshin's about to find out)

"Let me tell you something, Himura Kenshin. Ever since Kaoru started working at your bloody corporation, she's never been happy at all. She came home every night, upset. Why? Because your precious girlfriend wanted to make her miserable by making life a living hell for her while she was working there. She hardly gets enough sleep. Do you know why? She was too stressed out by everything that had happened. First, there was the incident about her stealing the watch and then the other one about her pouring wine all over Tomoe's dress. Oh, and not forgetting the time when Tomoe made her type more than twenty documents, giving her a dateline by the next morning. She couldn't photocopy any of them because Tomoe had deliberately made thousands of typing errors in there, so to help ease her burden, we decided to help her. We ended up staying up all night trying to finish typing all of it by the given dateline. We, as in me, her, her cousin and her brother. And do you want to know why she's lying in there feeling so ill? Because somebody smashed up her car in the parking lot yesterday, so she walked home in the pouring rain, feeling guilty. Do you know what she was worrying about? She was worrying about how we would take it. Why? Because we bought her the car as a birthday gift and she felt really bad because we had used so much money getting her the car and she couldn't even keep it in tip-top shape for a week. She cried to sleep over it yesterday night. Did you know that? Huh? Did you? And unless I miss my guess, I bet Tomoe was the one who did it."

As Soujiro vented out all his frustration and anger by shoving Kenshin roughly with each accusing statement, Kenshin just stood there, stunned at what he was hearing. (wow soujiro actually mad?)

* * *

**A/N**: know you're saying this was too short but I looked at the word count, and it was almost the normal length, just didn't have that many dialogs. I'm sorry, been too busy lately, but I'll get started on the next chapter right now. i exhausted all my thoughts... i had an outline for the story, it's suppose to end very soon, but i got new (and very unorginized) plans so it'll be longer but from here it's harder to write so excuse me for longer updates please... don't get mad ; 

**Next Chappie**: Kenshin takes Tomoe's side when they come to ask Kaoru for forgivness. Kaoru doesn't know why her car is smashed up. Kenshin, being a confusion towards everyone. More on Soujiro and Kaoru's relationship and their characteristics.


	12. snapped

**A/N:** I know this chapter isn't the best but I needed a transition. I promise, if you stay with me the next chapter will defiantly be good (and long). also the reason why i updated now (u shouldn't get mad since i only made u wait two or three days)

* * *

**Chapter 12  
Snapped  
**  
I stirred slightly then opened my eyes as the sunlight streamed into the hospital room through the blinds. I tried to lift my hands up to rub my eyes when I realized that someone was holding on to my left hand. 

Craning my neck a little, I saw Soujiro's sleeping form, his head on my bed while the rest of him was seated on a chair, which looked pretty uncomfortable to me. With his angelic face and tousled hair, he looked like an adorable ten-year-old boy. Carefully, so as not to wake him, I wrenched my hand from his grasp and just as soon as I had freed my fingers, he awoke with a start. Oops.

"Morning, Soujiro!" I say, ruffling his hair.

"Morning," he mumbled while rubbing his face.

"How long was I in here?"

"Just the night. I'm all kinked up!" he complained.

I gave a little laugh. As he stood up and stretched, I realized that neither Aoshi nor Akira was present.

"Where's my brother and Akira?"

He stopped stretching slowly, then, carefully avoiding my gaze, he bent down to straighten my blankets.

"What are you not telling me?" I asked, my heart beating faster with each second.

"They don't know you're here." I raised my eyebrows at him, as he continued. "They're in Korea now. You see, they had this really wonderful opportunity of expanding the business there and I didn't feel like telling them what happened to you. You know how they are. Once they hear about what happened, they'll drop every single thing and come back just to see you. Chances like these don't come by every other day and I just didn't want them to miss this one. I know it's pretty selfish of me to do what I did. I'm sorry."

He looked so dejected with his head hung low.

"Soujiro," I say, putting my hand over his and giving him a bright smile. "I'm glad you didn't tell them. Really."

I could see him breaking into a smile too. "So, what do you want to do today?" he asked.

"Don't you have to go to work? It's already 9.30."

"I could always enter the office a little later. Don't worry."

"Really? Let's get me checked out and then we'll have breakfast, okay?"

"No way, no how. You're staying here for another night."

"Why?" I whined. "I don't want to stay here for another night!"

"Sorry, girl. No can do. I'm not taking any chances. You're staying here until you're perfectly fine again."

I pouted and muttered under my breath. "Look," he says, "I'll stay the night with you, okay? I'll sleep on that ratty, old, dirty, smelly, uncomfortable couch over there." He pointed to a brown scratched up couch that looks centuries old.

"Promise?" I ask, extending my pinky to him.

"Promise," he replies, laughing as he linked his pinky with mine.

After having our breakfast, we decided to sit out in the garden, which was located at the back of the hospital. The place was filled with joyous laughter, which came from the mouths of little children playing together, garbed in the hospital's gown. There were also a few elderly people who just sat around, reading books to pass the time.

"Hi, neesan, hi, ani(older brother)," says the little girl who just trotted in, smiling up at the both of us, her long hair tied messily into a ponytail.

I smiled down at her. "Hello. What's your name?"

"Miyoko!" (I ran out of names)

"And how old are you?"

"Six," she replies, scrambling up the bench to sit between me and Soujiro.

"So, what are you doing in here?" asks Soujiro, patting her head affectionately.

"I broke my leg the other day while I was playing hide and seek," she says, showing us her bandaged leg.

"But it's alright now. Anyway, neesan, can you help me tie my hair? Please?"

"Sure thing," I say, turning her so that she sat with her back facing me. "Why don't you play with this ani while I tie your hair, okay?"

She nodded her head in reply as Soujiro engaged her in a game of rock, scissors and paper. I carefully raked my fingers through her hair to straighten them, then proceeded to braid them, as best as I could so that she would be happy. I secured the little pink rubber band tightly then said, "Alright. It's done!"

She turned back to face me and grinned widely, touching her hair. "Thanks, neesan!"

Then, as though catching sight of my sparkly hair clips for the first time, she got up on her knees to get a closer look at it.

"Oooooooooh," she gushed. "They're so pretty!"

Self consciously, I raised my hand to touch them.

"Really? Do you like them?" I ask, as she nodded her head furiously, still admiring them.

Without thinking twice, I unfastened both the clips from my hair, and pinned them onto her hair as she giggled in utter delight.

"When must I return them, neesan?" she asks, clapping her tiny hands together.

"You don't have to return them to me. It's for you. Just treat it as a present from me," I say, pinching her cheeks softly.

"Okie! Thanks neesan! I'm going to show the others what I got!" she says, scrambling down from the bench and running across the garden to where a group of children sat. As I stared at her retreating back, I heard Soujiro mumble a few incoherent sentences under his breath.

"Now what?" I ask, turning to face him.

"Why, of all the clips that you could have given to her, you choose to give the ones that I had bought for you? Why couldn't you have given away the ones that Aoshi or Akira bought for you?" he whined.

"Don't be stupid, Sou-chan. Those were the only clips I had on me. The others are back at home! Don't be so sensitive!" I replied, whacking him on the head.

"I'm not sensitive!" he said indignantly.

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Am too!"

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"Am no—what are you doing here?" he suddenly says, his voice cold and icy and his brooding gaze fixed a few feet behind me.

I whirled around to see who had caused the sudden change of mood in him, only to find Kenshin standing there, holding a big bouquet of red roses.

* * *

"What's he doing here?" I hissed to Soujiro. 

"No doubt he's come to see you," he replies, still glaring at Kenshin.

"How does he know I'm here in the first place?"

"Oh…um…well…he was the one who sent you here."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't mention it earlier. I thought you knew," he says, turning to me with a surprised look.

"How was I supposed to know? I was completely out from my high temperature. Remember?"

"Good morning Seta-san, Kamiya-dono," says Kenshin formally, bowing slightly.

I jumped up from my seat and bowed back politely whereas Soujiro stood up slowly and continued glaring at him. Kenshin tried to hand me the flowers but Soujiro slapped his arm away.

"What are you doing here?" he asked sharply. I stepped as hard as I could on his feet, trying to tell him without words, not to be so rude.

"I'm here to visit Kaoru-dono," Kenshin replies, a little amused.

"Right. She doesn't need you to visit her. Didn't I tell you to stay away from her the other time?" says Soujiro in suppressed anger, moving towards Kenshin threateningly. The ironic thing anyone from far away would then they were good friends. He advanced onto Kenshin with a small smile barely hanging onto his face.

"Sou-chan," I said softly, putting my hand on his arm. "Don't."

Soujiro turned to gaze at me for a few moments, searching my face. Then, he nodded his head slightly and moved away from Kenshin. He came to stand next to me, embraced me in a warm hug and said in a low voice.

"Call me if anything happens."

I nodded and gave him a smile, indicating that I would be fine and watched him walk across the garden, until he was out of sight. Then, taking a deep breath, I turned to face Kenshin.

"Thanks," I say, as I accepted the roses that he lifted up to me again. "So…" I trailed off as we both took a seat on the bench.

"How're you doing?"

"Recovering. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have become of me. Thanks again," I say, giving him a small smile.

He smiled back at me, then tilted his head up to look at the clear blue sky. We were silent for a few moments, until he spoke.

"Are you unhappy at work?" he asked me.

"Huh?" I looked up into his concerning purple eyes, shocked from my mind. Since when did he have such wonderous colored eyes?

"Are you unhappy at work?" he repeated.

"N—no." still entranced by his eyes.

"Are you lying to me?" he asks sharply.

"No." I repeated firmly. Sure, Tomoe can be a bit-- sometimes but I do feel happy working there. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering."

"Oh."

There was an uncomfortable pause.

"Anyway, have you found out who wrecked my car?" I ask tentatively.

"No," he replied, unconvincingly.

"What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing."

I turned to glare at him furiously. "You know who did it. And I have a right to know."

He leaned forward with his elbows resting on his thighs and his fingers clasped together. "Yes, that's true. But first, what do you plan to do the person who did it?"

"Report him to the police," I answered immediately.

"Is there any chance that you would forgive this person and let him go?"

"No."

"Even if the person does come and apologize to you, face to face?"

I turned to look at him in surprise and followed his gaze. My blood froze and anger consumed me as I saw who was walking towards us.

"You," I say furiously, my body trembling slightly. Kenshin had stood up to stand next to Tomoe protectively as she lowered her head. "Why did you do it?"

"I'm sorry, Kaoru. I just wasn't thinking at that time," she says, her voice wavering and her eye brimming with tears.

"What do you mean you weren't thinking?" I lashed out.

"I—I'm sorry."

"Don't think that just because you came to apologize, I'm not going to take any action. I'm still going through with my plans. And you know what? It serves you right. You deserve everything bad that comes your way."

She sniffled and Kenshin put his arm around her shoulders. "That's not very nice, is it?" he snapped.

"What she did wasn't very nice either, was it?" I retorted, meeting his gaze head on.

He glared at me, his face a mask of suppressed anger, I just glared at him back. How dare he take her side. O right, then I remembered, I'm no one to him while Tomoe's his girlfriend. What was I thinking? That he liked me or something?

"She came all the way just to apologize to you and you don't even appreciate it. It takes a lot of guts to come right out and admit that you are wrong. Besides, it was only a stupid car. You could replace it with another one any day."

Something in me snapped at his words.

"Look, it wasn't only a stupid car as you put it. That car means a lot to me. It's easy for you to say that I could replace it because you have rich parents who are willing to buy anything and everything for you. I don't, okay? I don't have any parents anymore. They died when I was young. The only family I have left is my brother and he works his ass off day and night just to ensure that I'm living comfortably. Sometimes he's so busy that I hardly even get to see him in a whole month. The money that he earned from all his hard work went into buying me that car for my birthday. Although my cousin and Sou-chan chipped in together, the amount that each one of them had to pay still wasn't little. You of all people should know. You drive a sports car. Things don't get handed to us on a silver platter. We work hard for them. So just lay off, okay?"

I abruptly turned on my heel and walked away from them, letting the tears fall, leaving behind a stunned Kenshin and a sniffling yet smirking Tomoe.

* * *

**A/N**: I've decided that once in a while I'll make them shorter and update often and sometimes longer and update them less often because then it'll be fair because I got request of both, hope you all don't mind. this chapter I found so boring and that big drama i warned you about i meant for next chapter but still. wreck car is pretty big right? i have my reasons for doing all this. btw that car was a forshadow to something down the road. i promise to reply to ur reviews next chapter. 

**Next Chapter**: Pretty much a turn for Kaoru and Kenshin relationship. It will be longer, and Kenshin finally has a chance to be with Kaoru alone (aka, without Tomoe) on a business trip. Well the beginning of the trip at least. Will Kenshin even try to lighten up and warm up to Kaoru? btw do u guys like the previous? i mean they kinda give things away.


	13. unlucky?

DISCLAIMER: someone flared at me about saying plagarism... i did not write this story, i don't own this plot, i changed part of it, and i was the original editor of this story. this original story was called hidden desire or something, later changed to memories. we used to be obsessed with the shinhwa. don't flame me on this because my purpose of putting this story up (edited version to flow better) is to share my favorite story. once again, i don't own this plot but i do have the permission of the author to change and fit it to rurouni kenshin as i see fit. (i did contribute to some of teh original story). all i wanna do is share this story so pleast stop flamming me about memories since i've truely never heard of that title.

**(A/N) **quick note… Tae is the Kamiya's maid in some way but also runs the Akebeko. I've also been wanting to add in Enishi but realized that it might conflict with my plot so one of my readers suggest I make them not related, and I thought that would be good. Btw Enishi and Tae are having some kind of relationship. (sorry this chapter took so long)

* * *

**Chapter 13  
Lucky 13?  
**

True to his word, Soujrio stayed for the night on the hospital's couch, just to keep me company. When morning came, I happily stuffed all my belongings into the little bag that Soujiro had brought my change of clothes in, glad to be able to finally leave the place.

"All ready, Kao-chan?" he says, coming around to stand next to me.

"Yup!"

"Where would you like to have breakfast?" he asks, heaving my bag onto one hand and guiding me towards his car with his other hand.

"Ummmm…" I say, thinking hard. Suddenly my whole face lit up and I began to jump up and down excitedly. "Akebeko place!"

"Okay! Okay! Don't get over-excited!" he says, laughing as he bleeped his car open.  
I climbed into his car and settled myself comfortably, laughing and joking all the way to the little restaurant.

"Tae-San!" I yell, as I spotted her. She turned around sharply and scurried over to where we stood, beaming at us. With her hands on my shoulders, she turned me around.

"Kaoru, have you not been eating properly? You've gone so thin. And you're looking so pale," she says patting my cheeks gently. "Have you not been getting enough sleep?"

"Mou! Tae-san! Don't worry about me! I'm fine. Look," I say, giving her a little twirl. "How're you?" I ask, linking my arm with her as she led us towards our table.

"Me? I'm getting fatter. Enishi's been making me eat a lot!" she says, patting her tummy and laughing gaily as I joined her.

"Here. You all have a seat first, all right? I'm going to tell Enishi you're here. He's going to be really happy to see the both of you."

As she bustled off, we both settled down at our table.

"Awwwww, Enishi's coming over!" grinned Soujiro.

I slanted my eyes at him. "What are you getting at, Sou-chan?"

"Well, everyone knows Enishi has a thing for you," he says, winking at me.

"What rubbish," I say, blushing a little.

"It's true! You're the only one who doesn't know!"

"Come on, Soujiro, he's just a friend. A really, really sweet friend. Besides you're the one who doesn't know anything… Tae and Enishi are a couple now."

"really? Hey how come no one tells me these things?" Soujiro said pouting.

"Hi!" says Enishi, approaching our table.

"Hey!" replies Soujiro.

"Enishiiiii-san!" I yelled.

He pulled a chair from the next table and sat down, folding his arms on the table. "It's been quite a while since I last saw all of you. Where's Aoshi-sama and Akira-san?"

"They're in Korea right now," I say, smiling at him. "And I've been so busy with work and everything that I didn't have time to come here and eat."

"Me too!" piped up Soujiro.  
"Oh, where are you working, Kaoru?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Hiten Mitsurgi Corporations."

He furrowed his brow for a moment, deep in thought. "Hiten Corporations headed by Himura Kenshin? A little shortie, wears suits 99 of the time, 1 of the time wearing some gi and some kind of sword outfit, currently with long red hair and drives a sports car?"

"Yeah," I say, turning to face him in surprise. "How'd you know?"

"He eats here sometimes."

"Oh," I say, a little taken aback.

"Speak of the devil," mutters Soujiro under his breath, his face hard and his gaze fixed on the doorway of the little restaurant and plasted on a smile.

We whipped our heads around to see who had entered and my heart sank a little at the sight that greeted me. Why is it that everywhere I go, he's always materializing in front of me one way or another? I slid a little lower in my seat, hoping that he wouldn't be able to spot me. No such luck. As he headed towards the only other available table in the room, which unfortunately, was just next to ours, his cool eyes locked with mine for a full second, before he turned away. I closed my eyes and sighed, burying my head in my hands.

"You don't like him very much, do you?" asked Enishi, with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"Is it that obvious?" I ask, scrunching my face a little.

As Soujiro and Enishi both nodded their heads in unison, the door to the restaurant shut with a loud bang, and once again we turned in our seats to see who had entered. I grimaced as I saw Tomoe standing there, scanning the room, her hair a little windblown and her clothes perfectly pressed. Now this was one person that I really did not want to see. As her gaze swept over me, her face contorted into a disgusted look, as though she had just stepped on horse manure. I shifted my gaze when she walked by our table and sat down opposite Kenshin.

"You don't like a lot of people, do you?" asks Enishi, his eyes twinkling.

"Well, Soujiro doesn't like her either!" I say defensively as the both of them laughed.

"Right. Right. Laugh all you want. I don't care," I say folding my arms across my chest.  
The door opened again to let in another person and I strained my eyes at the figure that had just entered, trying to determine whether it really was him. When he took off his hat, my whole face lighted up and I jumped up from my seat, cupping my hands around my mouth.

"Sanooooooooooooooooooooo!" I yelled.

His head whipped up immediately at his name and when he saw who had called him, a wide grin spread over his face as he made his was towards us.

It took him a while to regain his composure. "You look wonderful," he says, giving me a smile.

* * *

Normal pov  
Kenshin stared out the window, while Tomoe ate silently. He had barely touched his food. He just didn't have the mood to eat. Kaoru's words from yesterday played over and over again in his head. Had he done the wrong thing? Guilt had been eating at him after the incident. And he hadn't slept a full minute last night either. Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered her hurt expression. Sure, he had said some pretty harsh and insensitive words to her, but how was he to know that her parents weren't living anymore? It wasn't as though she had told him or anything. 

'_Of course she didn't tell you, a nagging voice in the back of his head said. She didn't have a chance. When she was just thirteen, when you decided that you were going to make her life miserable by taunting her in school everyday. Besides, why would she want to tell you about it? Just so you can tease her more? Just so you can think of more mean names to call her? What have you ever done to make her believe that she could confide in you? Nothing. In fact, if I were her, I'd steer clear away from you_.'

At the next table, he heard her laughter, mingling with Sano's and Soujiro's. Then it struck him. In all the times that she had been with him, she had never laughed before. She did smile, but that was only for the briefest of moments. He turned his head a little, trying to look at her as discreetly as possible. Her face shone with happiness as she laughed with her face turned up a little.

"Kenshin," says Tomoe, breaking into his reverie. "Why aren't you eating?" she asks, gesturing to his bowl.

"I just don't feel like it," he answered.

"Are you feeling sick?" she asks leaning across the table to place her palm on his forehead. But before she managed to touch him, he pulled back and replied with a terse,

"I'm fine." Picking up his chopsticks, he began filling his empty stomach, not really tasting the food.

After both Kaoru and Soujiro had left, Sano got up from his seat and made his way over to Kenshin's table.

"Hello, Kenshin, Yukishiro Tomoe," he says, giving them a small smile. "I'm sorry to interrupt but may I please have a word with you, Kaoru? Alone?" he added, when he saw that Tomoe wasn't going to move.

Reluctantly, Tomoe stood up and told Kenshin that she would be waiting for him outside.

"Thanks, Tomoe. This won't take long," he says, sitting down on the chair that she had occupied earlier. When she was safely out of earshot, he turned to Kenshin.

"Still not getting on well with Kaoru, are you?"

"What did she say to you?" asked Kenshin, a frown forming on his face.

"She didn't mention anything to me, although Soujiro did. I'm not really clear about what happened between the three of you yesterday, but if it has something to do with Tomoe, I could pretty much guess what it is. I can tell you never heeded any of my advice. That's not surprising. I really wasn't expecting you to actually follow someone else's words. But there is something that you need to know."

He paused for a second twisting a strand of his roster hair. "If you still plan on getting her, you'd better straighten out your priorities. You can't go running to Tomoe every time she beckons to you. You can't keep siding with Tomoe even though you know that she's in the wrong. That would be plain unfair to Kaoru. I know the relationship that you share with Tomoe is a very strong one even though you guys are not together anymore but sometimes you have to open your eyes and look at things from a different perspective."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

Sano gave Kenshin a small smile. "Because it would be unfair to you if I didn't tell you all this. Besides, I did have a head start of six years."

With that, he stood up, bowed slightly and walked out of the little restaurant, leaving an once again, stunned Kenshin to stare after him.

* * *

Kaoru's view 

The doors to our office burst open suddenly, making me jump a little. As I bent down to pick up my pencil that had fallen to the ground, I heard a familiar, deep, male voice and immediately whipped my head back up.

"All right, everybody. Listen up!" says Kenshin, clapping his hands together to get our attention. "As you all know, our company has been offered a partnership with another company based in New York. Since Tomoe has not been feeling well over the past few days due to fever, it would be pretty inconsiderate of me to insist that she follow me over to New York to discuss about the plans to market this new product. So, is there anyone here who would like to volunteer for this job?"

We looked at one another in silence, uncertainty etched all over our faces. Sensing our hesitation, Kenshin spoke again.

"Let's put it this way. Who do you think is the most capable person of completing this task and making a good job out of it?"

It took everyone about a millisecond to make up their minds and as though they had planned this together behind my back, they all pointed in my direction. My jaw dropped open and I pleaded with them with my eyes, trying to tell them telepathically not to pick me.

"Kaoru is the person you're looking for," says Yahiko, grinning at me as everyone else nodded their heads in agreement, while I shook mine furiously.

"Yeah, I agree with what Yahiko said. Kaoru is definitely the one," quipped Misao.

"Right.Kaoru it is then. Any problems?" Kenshin asked, turning to me.

"Ye—Ow!" I muttered as Misao stepped on my foot.

"No, Himura-san. I'm sure Kaoru doesn't have any problems," she replied sweetly.

"Sur—Ouch!"

"Please don't mind her," she says again, smiling radiantly at him while I rubbed my arm where she had pinched earlier.

"Right," he says. "Anyway, how fast can you pack all your things, Kaoru?"

"When are we supposed to leave?"

"Today. By 5 o'clock."

I blinked, trying to absorb all this at once. "Oh. Right. Okay. Great."

"So, roughly at what time do you think you could be ready?" he asks, giving me a weird look.

"Oh, ummm…just give me about 2 hours. I'll be ready by then."

"Great. Would you like me to fetch you to the airport from your house?"

"NO! I mean, no, there's no need for that. I can come back here or we can just meet at the airport or something," I say, shuffling my feet nervously.

"Whatever suits you. Why don't we meet at the café around the corner at 3 o'clock? That'll give you about…" he trailed off, looking at his watch, "three hours and a half to get ready. Would that be okay for you?"

"Yeah. Oh, how many days should I pack my clothes for?"

"Enough for 2 weeks."

(btw this is when Aoshi and Akira got back. They gave Soujiro a hell of a hard time for not telling them about Kaoru's trip to the hospital.)

"Ani.," I say, nudging the huge lump buried under the comforters. He shifted a little, muttering under his breath and then fell asleep again. "Come on, Aoshi," I say, pushing him a little harder this time. "I know you're feeling pretty tired from the plane ride back but please, please get up." Seeing that her nudges were doing no good she screamed in his ear, "THIS IS IMPORTANT!"

Abruptly, he sat up straight and looked at me, a frown marring his features. All thoughts of sleep had vanished from his mind. "What's the matter, Kaoru? Are you feeling sick?" he asked, putting his palm up to my forehead.

"No, silly," I say, swatting his arm away. "Why is it that you always think that there's something wrong with me? Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I'll be leaving for New York tonight."

"WHAT?"

"Mou! Don't yell! I'm just one foot away from you! It's a business trip and I'm the lucky one that got chosen to represent the Marketing Department. So, wanna help me pack?"

"Whoa! Hold up! My brain can't input so much information at one shot. You're leaving on a business trip to New York tonight. When will you be back?"

"Ummm…about two weeks."

"TWO WEEKS?"

"Oww! Aoshi! Think of my poor eardrums! Yeah, two weeks."

"Do you know how long two weeks is? It's 14 days. 336 hours. 20,160 minutes. How am I supposed to go through 2 whole weeks without seeing you, without knowing how you're faring? I'd be worried sick!"

"Mou, ani! I promise I'll call you every day so stop acting like a six-year-old. Come and help me pack. My flight leaves at 5 o'clock," I say, pulling him out of his bed, while he complained continuously about how boring it was going to be without me. Oh God, I thought, rolling my eyes.

* * *

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. My name is Tsubame and I'll be your pilot for today. You are aboard flight K5246 from Tokyo, Japan headed for New York. The time now is 5.30 in the evening. It will take about…" 

As the speakers crackled overhead, I leaned forward to look out of the little square window, at the twinkling lights of Tokyo, thousands of feet below. So awed by the sight that greeted me, I grabbed Kenshin's arm excitedly and pointed.

"Look, Kenshin, Tokyo looks beautiful from up here," I say, finally turning to face him, only to stare right into his cold eyes. They say it takes roughly about thirty-six muscles to smile. Ten of mine must have failed to work as my face dropped like a wet towel. "I'm sorry," I mumbled, releasing my grip on his arm.

Sighing, I turned my back on him and gazed out the window again. Sure, it was great to be able to fly in business class and everything but having a seat partner who is as prickly as a porcupine just kills the mood. It really does.

* * *

(Normal pov) she'll be asleep 

Kenshin inclined his head just a little and observed her out of the corners of his eyes. Through her reflection in the window, he could see that she was a little downcast, probably at his reaction earlier. He cursed inwardly at himself. He felt like a grade-A heel for being so cold towards her. He could see that she was trying her damnedest to relieve the tension between the both of them and he knew he wasn't doing anything to help things. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration then turned his attention back to his laptop and began typing, desperately trying to blot her out of his system.  
After what seemed like hours, Kenshin leaned back in his seat, rubbing his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose lightly. He rotated his shoulders and moved his head sideways to help ease the tense muscles there.

"Excuse me, sir," says a stewardess, smiling down at him and handing him a menu. "What would you like to have for dinner?"

He hurriedly scanned the page. "I would like to have the chicken set, please," he replied, closing the menu.

"What about your friend?" she asks, nodding in Kaoru's direction.

He shifted his gaze to look over at her, surprised to find her fast asleep in a very awkward position. Turning back to the stewardess, he said, "She'll have the same thing, thanks."

"Sure. Dinner will be served in half an hour," she answered politely, walking away.  
He slowly pried the book away from between her fingers, memorized the page number then slipped it into his bag. Leaning over her, he carefully unfastened her hair clip, letting her long hair fall in wisps around her. Then, lifting the wrapped up blanket from the floor, he roughly tore the bag open and tucked the warm blanket securely under her chin, making sure that she was fully covered from neck to toe. Satisfied with what he had done, he lifted his hand to switch off the reading light. Now if only she would wake up when dinner is being served.

* * *

Kaoru's pov 

"Wow," I gushed, taking in the sights around me. During our two weeks here, we would be staying at the Four Seasons Hotel. I've heard from various sources that this hotel was really expensive and was one of the best-rated hotels in New York, next to the Plaza Hotel but I wasn't expecting its interiors to be so…so…fantastic. For a start, the reception area was all limestone and marble and amazing high ceilings.

As we approached the reception desk, a concierge in a trendy jacket smiles at us. "Good morning, Mr. Himura," he says. "And Miss Kamiya. Welcome to the Four Seasons. I've put you both in adjoining rooms 19 and 20," he continued, as Kenshin starts to fill in a form. "Overlooking Central Park."

"Great," says Kenshin.

"Thanks," I say, smiling at the concierge and he smiled back warmly.

"If there is anything else that you require, Mr. Himura and Miss Kamiya," says the concierge, "please don't hesitate to let me know."

"We will, don't worry," I say, as Kenshin hands the forms back. The concierge hands him two sets of room keys, and summons a porter to help carry our bags up.

We walk along an opulent corridor in complete silence – then the porter swings open the door to room 19 and ushers us into a spectacularly beautiful room, furnished with a big double bed with an enormous waffle duvet, a state-of-the-art music system, plushy chairs and a paneled dressing room. He places both our bags on the luggage rail, then Kenshin gives him a note and he disappears.

While he crossed over to his room through the adjoining door, I made my way over to the bathroom and pushed open the door, stunned at what I saw. Inside, there was a huge great sunken mosaic Jacuzzi with the hugest shower that I've ever seen above, and a whole rack of gorgeous-looking aromatherapy oils.

Suddenly, I remembered my promise to call Aoshi. Rushing over to where my bag stood, I rummaged through my clothes, searching for my cell phone. Whipping it open, I quickly punched in Aoshi's number forgetting about the difference in time zone.

"Helwfrow?" he said groggily.

"Hiya, ani! Kao here! Just to let you know that I've reached safely. And I'm sorry I called at the wrong time. I forgot that it's night over there," I say, giggling a little.

"Frit's awright, Kao."

"Right, ani. Go back to sleep. I'll ring you at a saner hour. Night!" I say, shaking my head as I flipped it shut.

"Kaoru?" Kenshin called out, poking his head around the door. "Did you, by any chance, bring along a cocktail dress?"

"Umm…no. Why? Are we attending a formal dinner?" I ask.

"As a matter of fact, we are. And it's tonight."

My jaw dropped open. "Oh my God. What do we do?" I ask, feeling panic rising within me.

"Go and take a shower. After that, we'll go shopping."

* * *

(Normal pov) 

As they sat in the back seat of the cab, side by side, Kenshin couldn't help but notice how much her spirits had lifted. She looked so energetic and radiant, wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a plain white three-quarter sleeved shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, fastened securely with a sapphire ribbon that matched her beautiful eyes. When she happened to look his way, she smiled warmly at him, a smile that was sincere and unguarded. Just as he was about to smile back, memories from the day at the hospital flooded into his mind. He felt a sharp pang of guilt remembering all the hurtful things that he had said to her. Since he still hasn't apologized to her about his behavior, now was a good time as any to do it.

"Kaoru?" he called out quietly.

"Yeah?" she asked, turning in her seat to face him.

He paused for a moment, looking out of his window at the blur of colors whizzing past him. Finally, he turned to look into her questioning eyes. "I'm sorry for all the hurtful things that I've said to you the other day at the hospital."

It took her a few minutes to register what he was talking about. "Oh, it's alright," she answered, fidgeting with her bracelet and averting her gaze away from him.

"No, it's not alright. I'm sorry. I really am. I shouldn't have been so insensitive with my words."

She gave him a small smile. "Apology accepted. Don't dwell so much on it. I never took what you said to heart."

He knew she was lying, but he allowed her small deception. An uncomfortable silence engulfed the both of them.

"Anyway," he said. "It's obvious that we had set out on the wrong foot together. Why don't we start over? We can pretend none of those rotten things had ever happened and, you know, just get to know each other better. Well, it's just a thought. You don't have to go through with it if you don't want to," he added hastily. His heart pounding in his ears waiting for her reply...

* * *

**A/N**: will kaoru reject him? hm.. btw do u guys get tired of my changing pov? I find it very hard to maintain in one so I hope you don't mind too much but if it bothers u too much I'll try to stop it, though it may make things seem akward, like taking Kaoru's view even though she's sleeping. --v 

**Next Chapter**: does anyone actually read this preview note? Anyways. Does Kaoru accept his offer? And coming up, another turning point, Kenshin admits his feelings and ask for a chance, what will happen? Btw there will be a dinner party.

**More A/N Reply**: (i heard someone say i can't reply to reviews so just consider it more A/N)

Firalyn Tiatra: i love how you comment on all the events, it lets me know what is good and what not.

Anonymous but very interested: Soujiro and Her.. uh Soujiro likes her but kaoru's just too innocent to notice. and i havne't thought about mental break down... and yes like rurouni kenshin, he is very indecisive in these things and an idiot. specially in my fic.

royal blueKitsune: the only real love i have planned is kenshin's love for kaoru... can't say anything on kaoru's side or i'll end up giving it away. and yes he is an idiot. i don't captialize things because i reply at the spot and not on microsoft word (the reason i failed english)

VanyD: lol my grammer is no comparison to half the authors on this site, i couldn't pass english class with a good grade if my life depended on it. and the car, well it was expensive, a sport's car (not big on cars so i don't know too much)

forever angel: yes tomoe only acted sorry, i don't think i'll let tomoe ever turn "good"

blooded wyngs: their money is mainly in investments and she does not like to waste money and all she wants to be is normal so she won't just use her inheritance. and the car was special because ... uh.. hm... they all worked together to save up their extra spending money to get it. i don't want kenshin and the others to know that kamiya's are rich.. yet...

Deseray: thanks, yes kenshin's a hypocrite. o well. i like it when things like that happen. hopefully you don't mind.

Green Animelover: sou and kaoru are just friends, though soujiro has developed feelings (okok, more like love at first sight) but doens't show it because he knows kaoru doesn't like him in that way.

... she wants to stay at that corp to earn a reputation so she can prove to others that things aren't handed to her on a silver plater.

sato: no i've never read that. this wasn't originally called hidden obsession nor was it called memories. i believe it was called hidden desire or some desire. like i said this story was written 3-4 maybe even 5 years ago... and i already disclaim the plot. i just wanted to share this story. the plot was made by my friend but i did have a few imputs.

Deseray: thanks, yes kenshin's a hypocrite. o well. i like it when things like that happen. hopefully you don't mind.

Those i didn't reply to is because you didn't ask questions, i only reply to quesitons though i love all your comments all the same. i just want to make sure all my readers know that **i love you all.**


	14. rekindling

**Chapter 14:  
Rekindling**

* * *

Kenshin's POV:

I look into her eyes seeing if she would accept this agreement. She didn't seem to move at all; what if she didn't accept me? my hands started to sweat as I hesitanly whispered, "Kaoru?"

Kaoru's POV:

I looked into his eyes, they're so beautiful. The eyes that every girl had wanted to attention from in highschool was now on me, looking into my own. I was so lost in his eyes alone that I forgot he was asking me a question. As soon as I heard my name, I snapped out of my day dream. Mou! What am I thinking? Breaking into a smile I held my hand out and said in a cheerful voice, "Hi, My name is Kamiya Kaoru. What's yours?"

The wall of ice finally melted.

* * *

"Good morning," says a girl with a name badge, smiling at us, as we entered the little boutique. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Actually, there is. We will be attending a dinner tonight and we need to look good. Could you please help me to choose a suit and a dress for the lady here?"

"No, wait," I said, putting my arm out to stop the girl. "You can help him choose a suit. I'll just look around for a dress myself."

I wandered off to the numerous racks of dresses while Kenshin settled down comfortably on one of the suede couches while the girl went around the shop gathering clothes for him. As I fingered all the lovely evening wear, one particular dress in the back stood out, demanding my attention. I parted all the other dresses so that I could get a better look at it and gasped softly at what I saw. It was an inky purple dress, with a low back and glittering straps. I fingered the smooth fabric lovingly, and then turned over the price tag.

My eyes widened in shock as I counted the numbers with my fingers. Oh my God. Although I was rich and could afford to buy anything my heart desired, I was careful about money. I didn't go around spending it on things that I didn't need. Why? Because we didn't get the money by simply resting on our laurels. Sure, our father had left most of his possessions to the both of us in his will, which amounted to a very large sum in money and assets, but we never took any of it for granted. Not even once. Aoshi worked awfully hard, managing the whole corporation with the help of Akira, and now, Soujiro, just to ensure that I was living comfortably.

Abruptly, I turned my back on the dress and made my way over to where Kenshin sat.

"Himura," I say in hushed tones, leaning in closer towards him. "Do you actually KNOW how much the outfits in here cost?"

He turned to look at me, frowning a little. "I'd have to say…about a thousand plus?"

"Not even close. There's this dress which costs about four thousand! Four whole thousand! Just for a dress! Who would be crazy enough to buy something that expensive?"

"Oh? Which dress is it?" he asks, suddenly interested.

"That one in th—" I stopped suddenly, and slanted my eyes at him. "Why do you want to know?"

"Umm…curious? I've never come across a four thousand dollar dress before, you know," he says, grinning at me.

"Right, Himura-san. Nice try. You nearly got me there," I say pinching him on the arm.

Frankly, I'm glad that I took the chance to start over with him. He is much more open now compared to when I first met him, and definitely less, less cold. In fact, he seemed to smile more often too…or maybe that was just me.

"How's this?" he asks, coming out of the dressing room and coming to stand in front of me.

I lifted my chin from my hands and looked up at him with a bored expression. "Himura," I whined, "You've tried on more than a hundred pairs of suits. Can't you just randomly pick one?"

"Of course not! We have to look our best tonight, Kaoru-dono. First impression is everything."

"I know, but still! Don't you think that trying on so many suits is overdoing it a little? Besides, they all look the same to me, so it doesn't really matter which one you pick. And hurry up while you're at it, okay? It's illegal to bore a person to death."

"If you're feeling bored, it means you're a boring person."

My jaw dropped open in disbelief. "Mou! You try sitting here and watch me change into a hundred different dresses. Then you can talk."

"Okay!" he replied, coming to sit down next to me. "Go ahead and pick your dress!"

I shot him a weird look. "What are you up to now?"

"Nothing! Honestly, woman. Why do you always see an ulterior motive in all my gestures?"

"Because you're always up to no good! Now, stop wasting my time and pick out a suit!" I say, pushing him away.

* * *

"Excuse me, I'd like to buy these," says Kenshin, handing over his items to the girl. As he waited while she rang up all his purchases, he stole a glance at Kaoru. He felt more at ease now, knowing that she didn't harbor any kind of hate towards him. And though he wouldn't admit it to anyone else, he was glad that he had finally managed to work up the courage to ask whether they could start over. Spending two weeks alone with her while they were on good terms suddenly seemed like the most perfect thing that could ever happen.

Smiling to himself, he let his eyes roam over the little boutique. As though being pulled by a magnetic force of some kind, his eyes sought out the purple dress that he had caught Kaoru staring at during intervals when she thought he wasn't looking. The four thousand dollar dress.

Suddenly, he felt like getting her a gift. Something that she wouldn't be expecting at all. Something that would make her face light up with happiness. Without hesitating, he leaned over the counter to speak to the girl.

"If it isn't too much trouble, could you please wrap that dress up for me? And matching shoes to go with it?"

* * *

"Himura-san, wake up!" I say, jostling his arm frantically.

"What is it?" he asks, rubbing his eyes and raising himself to rest on his elbows.

"It's almost 5 o'clock and I still haven't got a dress for the dinner! This is all your fault, you know,' I say, nudging him in the sides when I saw that his eyes was beginning to close again.

"MY fault? You were the one who overslept!"

"True, but if you hadn't insisted on coming back to the hotel to get some shuteye, none of this would have happened! Stop trying to go back to sleep! We have a crisis at hand here!"

He gave a sigh and plopped back down onto his bed. "Tell you what…go back to your room, take a shower and after that, apply your make up. As for your dress, I'll think of something, okay?"

"You're not going to dress me up in curtains or anything like that, are you?" I ask, looking at him suspiciously.

"What? You don't like it?" he asks, deadpan.

"Himura!"

"Okay! Okay! So, using the curtains is definitely not an option. What about the cleaner's uniform? Maybe we could pass it off as the latest fashion created by some eccentric designer." I whacked him on his forehead while he laughed.

"Look, don't worry about the dress. I'll come up with something. Just go and get ready, alright?"

The moment she closed the door to her bathroom, he leapt out of bed and rummaged through the carrier bags for the dress and the shoes that he had bought earlier. Finding the right box, he carried it across to her room, careful not to make any noise.

'It was a good thing I opted for adjoining rooms', he thought wryly, then chuckled softly as he thought of her request that they leave the doors open at all times unless either one of them was changing because she was scared of living in such a huge room all by herself.

He surveyed the room for a while, then finally decided to leave the box on top of her bedcovers, and the shoes, at the foot of the bed. He stood back and gazed at it one last time before walking back to his own room to get himself ready for the dinner.

* * *

I shuffled out of the bathroom, toweling my hair. Now, for the tricky part…to dry my hair and style it. As I headed over to the dresser, I stopped short. A pair of glittery dark purple heels stood proudly at the foot of my bed while a rectangular white box sat on top of my bedcovers. I turned the box over and over again in my hands. The logo engraved at the right hand corner of the box looked awfully familiar. Hesitating a little, I lifted the lid of the box and peered inside, gasping audibly at what I saw.

I ran over to Kenshin's room and was about to knock on his bathroom door when it opened, revealing a topless Kenshin.

"Aack!" I say, turning my back on him, my cheeks flaming hot.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Kaoru-dono. I'm wearing pants. Plus, guys walk around without wearing a shirt all the time. It's pretty normal," he says, chuckling as he buttoned up a white dress shirt.

"It's not normal! It's indecent exposure!" I exclaimed.

"Right," he says, rolling his eyes in a comical manner. "Anyway, is there something that you wanted to see me about?"

"Yeah!" I say, whirling around to meet his gaze. "Why'd you buy the dress?"

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Himura!" I say, putting my hands on my hips.

"Must you ask?"

"Yes! I have a right to know!"

"Well…I noticed how you kept stealing glances at the dress, so I bought it for you."

"You bought it just because I kept looking at it?" I asked incredulously.

"No! I bought it for you because I wanted to. I really did. I thought you would be happy," he said, looking down at his shoes.

I bit the insides of my cheek and mentally kicked myself when I saw a flicker of sadness cross his features. I walked over to where he stood and gave him a warm hug. "I am happy, Himura. Thanks."

"Kaoru-dono?"

"Yes?"

"Just Kenshin, please, and don't bother with the horrific."

"Very well, then please, just Kaoru." I said and turned around backing into my room.

Minutes later, I heard Kenshin's impatient voice, "Are you going to come out on your own, or do I have to go in there and drag you out?"

"Wait!" I hollered back. "I'm not done yet!"

"But you've been in there for almost twenty minutes. You don't need twenty minutes just to slip on a dress! I'm coming in!"

"If I come out, you have to promise not to laugh, okay?" I ask, poking my head around the door.

"Okay! Okay!"

I bit my bottom lip and stepped out from behind the door. The dress fit snugly, accentuating my curves to perfection, and stopping just above my ankles, which fed to my high-heeled strappy sequined sandals. My dark, brown hair had been pinned up into a bun, with little strands falling out, framing my face and only a smidgen of make-up had been applied onto my face.

"So?" I ask, twisting my fingers.

"…you… look… great." He managed to choke out.

* * *

I slipped my arm around the elbow that Kenshin offered as we swept down the stairs that led to the hall where the cocktail party was being held.

"There's so many people here!" I whispered to him through my smile.

"Just take things slowly. There's nothing to be afraid of," he whispered back, giving my arm an encouraging squeeze.

"Easy for you to say," I mumbled.

I gladly accepted the glass of champagne that a passing waiter offered to me and took a few generous sips to calm my nerves. The entire place was filled with men in expensive suits and women in beautiful dresses, all standing and chatting animatedly.

"Kenshin Himura," says a middle-aged man heartily, shaking Kenshin's hand. "Glad you could make it. And who's the lovely lady here?" he asks, giving me a warm smile.

"Mr. Ryan, I wouldn't miss this dinner for anything. This is Kamiya Kaoru. She will be in charge of the project to help market the new products," replies Kenshin.

"Hello, Miss Kamiya. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Mr. Ryan," I say, returning his smile.

Just then, the heavy double doors that led to the dining room opened and Mr. Ryan turned to face us. "Well, shall we proceed?"

He led us over to one of the tables situated at the front, made sure that we were comfortable, then left to see to his other guests.

"He's really nice," I commented to Kenshin.

"Yes, he is," he replied, agreeing with me.

"Where is h—" I began.

"Kenshin Himura."

I turned around in my seat to see who had interrupted me. A tall, thin guy, with blond hair, holding a glass filled with red wine stood behind my chair, grinning widely at Kenshin.

"Kogo Katsura!" says Kenshin, standing up and smiling warmly at the other guy, his whole face filled with happiness. "What are you doing here?"

"Attending a dinner. Just like you," he replies, lifting his glass, then taking a sip from it.

Slowly, but uncertainly, I stood up too. "Oh, Katsura-san, this is Kamiya Kaoru. Kaoru," he says, turning to face me, "meet Katsura."

I grasped his extended hand and shook it warmly. "Nice to meet you, Kogo Katsura-san."

"Aaack!" he says, wagging a finger at me. "Katsura. No 'san' please."

I giggled a little but immediately covered it up with a cough. "Right, Katsura."

"And how would you like me to address you?" he asks with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Kaoru," I replied.

"Hmm…Kaoru…Kamiya Kaoru …that name sounds awfully familiar…" he trailed off, thinking hard.

"That's it!" he exclaimed suddenly, snapping his fingers. "Kamiya Kaoru! You're the girl that Kens—"

"Katsura, why don't you take a seat?" cut in Kenshin, a little loudly.

I looked at the both of them curiously, first at Katsura, then at Kenshin. I could tell that they were hiding something from me. "What is it that you're not telling me?"

"It's a guy thing," answered Katsura, as he took a seat next to me.

"A guy thing?" I ask incredulously.

"What's so surprising about that? If girls can have girl things, then why can't guys have guy things?" he asked with annoying male logic.

At his words, I shook my head and laughed. "You are just so adorable."

"Come on, let's dance," says Katsura, pulling me to my feet after the waiters had cleared the tables.

"You guys go ahead," I say, pulling my hand out of his grasp. "I can't dance."

"Liar! You were dancing pretty well with Sano the other day," says Kenshin accusingly.

"That was different!"

"How is it different?" Katsura cut in with an eyebrow raised.

"He was teaching me how to dance!"

"Right," they said at the same time, rolling their eyes.

"Honest!"

As though on cue, the emcee's voice boomed throughout the entire hall. "Ladies and gentlemen, please proceed on to the dance floor. Anyone caught not dancing will have to sing all of us a song!"  
My jaw dropped open in disbelief as both Kenshin and Katsura looked at me with wide grins. What kind of an emcee is he? I fumed.

"May I?" asks Kenshin, his eyes twinkling as he extended his hand towards me.

I pushed my hair out of my face and placed my hand in his as he led me to the dance floor.

Katsura stood in a corner, sipping his wine and observed the both of them dancing together. He noticed the happy glow on his best mate's face. It had been such a long, long time since he last saw Kenshin so happy and at ease with himself. A smile spread across his face. A lot of people had always assumed that Kenshin was a cold person, earning him very few friends. But he knew better. Deep inside, he was insecure, just like everyone else. Past experiences had turned him into a bitter person. But all that was going to change now, he thought, as he shifted his gaze to look at Kaoru, the girl who Kenshin had been hopelessly in love with for the past four years.

* * *

Over the next few days, we existed on a diet of late nights and coffees. Every morning, we had to wake up early to attend meetings with Mr. Ryan's team to discuss about things. Our schedule was hectic. We barely had time to eat, but somehow, we had managed to cram in a few hours of sightseeing.

We had built on the fragile trust we'd begun by sharing our thoughts, opening ourselves to each other, and exposing vulnerabilities, guardedly testing the limits of our delicate new bond. Although I was surprised at the sudden change in him, I couldn't say I wasn't pleased. He was much more easy to be with and definitely much nicer.

His smile and the twinkle in his eyes came more readily now. His laugh was awfully contagious and his presence always brought a smile to my face. I appreciated all the little things that he did, like waking up early to pick up all my wake up calls so that I didn't have to wake up so early, going out in the middle of the night just to buy me food because he knew I was hungry, and making sure that I was asleep before him. And in these two weeks, bit by bit, I fell for him.

* * *

The past two weeks had to be one the best times of his life. Although they were constantly laden with work, it gave them a chance to get to know each other better. While working, they often talked to pass the time and it was through this, that he got to know the many facets of her life, and her, his. He regretted deeply for not taking this step earlier. After spending so much time together with her and seeing what she really was inside, the feelings he had for her for the past four years came stampeding back with twice the force. He was powerless to do anything to stop it from happening and neither could he deny the truth any longer. He had fallen for her again, and fallen hard.

* * *

"Kenshin!" I say, skipping into his room, feeling refreshed after my hot shower.

"I'm in the shower! Just take a seat first, alright?" came his muffled voice.

"Oh, okay! Take your time! There's no rush!" I say, making myself comfortable on one of the plushy chairs.

I picked up a magazine on the coffee table nearby and flipped through it absently. Feeling bored, I put it back down and sighed, looking around his room. With a start, I sat up straight. I never really noticed how neat his room always is. Sure, it was cleaned daily by the housekeeping team, but still, I've never seen any of his things out of place before. His clothes was always hung up in the cupboards provided, magazines, newspapers and files always stacked neatly on the coffee table, shoes placed in one corner of the room, and the sorts. Compare to his, my room looks as though it has been hit by a tornado.

"Kenshin, you're such a neat freak," I say to him as he came out, toweling his hair.

"Oro?" that simple word made butterflies in my stomach.

"It's true! Everything in your room is so…proper! Look at my room. It's more natural, more comfortable!" I say, standing up and deliberately messing up his neatly stacked magazines.

"I like to be clean," he says, raising an eyebrow at my actions.

"Are you trying to imply something?" I ask grabbing the nearest stick, holding it like a bokkon and glared at him.

"Oro! No! Not at all," he replies, looking at me innocently, his eyes twinkling. "So, what did you want to see me about?"

"Must it always be something? You're beginning to sound like my brother!"

"Well, what else am I supposed to say?"

"Hmmm…good question. I don't know either," I say, giggling a little.

"So…what do you want to do, seeing as this is our last day here in New York?"

"Sightseeing is out of the question as it's probably too dark out to see anything at all. Shopping is not an option either as I'm sure all the shops are closed by now. Ummm…why don't we just sit down and talk, or something?" I ask.

I look up and meet his eyes, and a tingle travels down my spine at his intense gaze. Slowly he walks towards me, until he's standing just in front of me. I can smell the scent of his aftershave, and hear the crisp cotton rustle of his shirt as he moves.

"We could just talk, or something," he echoes, and slowly lifts his hands until they cup my face. "We could just talk…or something else, I'll go with the second one."

As he leaned in closer, I pulled back from him, my eyes wide. "W--we shouldn't be doing this, Kenshin."

Kenshin bit his lip and looked down at his shoes. He knew he shouldn't be doing this. He tried hard to remind himself of who he was and what he was doing, but it was useless. His heart was calling all the shots now.

"Just once," he whispered, reaching out for me. "Just once."

And then he kisses me.

* * *

His mouth was on hers, gently parting her lips as his hands encircled her small waist, pulling her tightly to him. She was so small, and her curves fit so perfectly in his arms, emphasizing his masculinity. For both of them, it's like tasting a piece of heaven.

* * *

The careful brush of his mouth caught me off guard. Surprisingly, there was nothing lustful about his caress. Instead, it was a mingling of quiet breath, a tentative exploration. I tasted uncertainty, a mute questioning, as if all his defenses were down and he were lying bare a vulnerable and lonely soul. I let myself give in to my own temptation. I feel his breath on my lips as he tries to break between my lips, as if on command my lips parted giving him access. Instantly I felt his tongue intrude into my mouth, inviting me to join him. before long I found my own reaction as our tongue danced to the tango rhythm. My knees melted as I fell back onto his bed, he followed my suit as I rolled on top of him, devouring his taste, melting into his embrace.

Just then, I snapped back to my senses and broke away, placing both my hands on his chest to push him back.

"You know, Kenshin, we should forget about whatever just happened. There…there was probably some kind of…attraction between the both of us during that split second due to…due to the stress that we had undergone for the past few days. Yes…that must be it. Stress," I say, focusing on the buttons of his shirt.

"Is that what you think?" he asks, his voice awfully quiet.

"I don't know. I don't know, okay? I don't know what to think anymore!" I say, rubbing my face.

"Hey," he says, grasping my chin lightly and bringing it up until I had nowhere else to look but into his eyes. "I know this is probably not the right time to say this, and that you probably don't even want to hear this right now, but I need to tell you about it. I need to get it out into the open." He took a deep breath. "I love you."

I froze at his words. "What?"

"I love you. All right? I love you," he says, now grasping both my shoulders firmly and shaking me lightly.

When I didn't speak, he continued. "Ever since that day I gave you that punch to the jaw, I felt an instant attraction for you. Sounds weird, but that's exactly what happened. I guess over time I just loved you from a distance, admiring your own inner strength. How you were yourself and not like the rest of the school trying to fit in and acting like an idiot. You had self respect and respected others and even a warm heart, to everyone. I love you, I can't describe my mind any more than that but all I know is my heart yearns for you and no one else."

Silence enfolded us as my brain worked overtime, trying to interpret what Kenshin was saying.

"I want us to have something more than just friendship. I can give you all the love and laughter you can handle, but there are other things that I can also give you. I'll listen if you want to talk, I'll be your wall if you just want to lean on me…whatever you want, whatever you need, I'll always be here for you," he said, looking deeply into my eyes so that I wouldn't miss the seriousness of his point.

I looked down at my feet and squeezed my eyes shut, tightly. Reopening them, I braced myself to look straight into his eyes. "Kenshin, I don--"

"Look, before you come to any decision, just…just think about it, okay? Please?" he asks, pleading with his eyes. "You can take all the time you want to make up your mind. I won't pressure you or rush you or anything like that. I promise. But please, please think about it."

I bit my bottom lip, and then slowly, I nodded my head.

"All right. I'll think about it," I say softly.

As I trudged back towards my room, deep in thought, what Kenshin said next made me stop short in my tracks.

"If I had one wish, Kaoru, I would wish for me not to have fallen in love with you, so that I wouldn't have to go through so much pain and torture every day. You don't know this, but I die a little bit each time I see you smile at another guy, your whole being radiating with happiness…knowing that you would never smile at me like that, knowing that you'd probably never be mine."

* * *

**Next Chapter**: sigh, Paradise is over now returning back to Japan, will Kenshin say this nice or will is return to ice boy and go back to Tomoe? Will Kaoru accept his proposition?

**A/N:** Sorry if some things don't make sense, i was doing this chapter after getting my wisdom teeth pull and am a lil out of it. and also sorry for the such long of a delay


	15. Humor Innocence

A/N: i didn't want to reply to reviews cuz that would take me a while and also i'm in a rush, hope you don't mind. any questions i'll answer next time.

* * *

**Chapter 15  
Humor Innocence  
**  
"Kaoru!" yelled Akira, jumping over chairs, pillows and Soujiro, who was lying flat on his stomach, flipping through some papers, in his rush to reach me.

"Akira, Aoshi! I missed you guys so much!" I say, as he gave me a big hug and ruffled my hair. "Sou-chan, get up off the floor," I say, nudging him in the sides gently with my foot as I walked past him to take a seat on the couch.

"No 'SOUJIRO!" from you? Aww." Soujiro complained,bouncing up and down on the couch. "Any presents?"

"Is that all you can think about?" I ask, irritably. "I don't see you for two whole weeks and the only thing you can ask me after I come home is whether I bought you any presents?"

He blinked at me.

"Yup!" he says after a momentary pause, ducking almost immediately, as a pillow went flying in his direction followed by some pots and cans and anything I could get my hands on.

"So?" asks Aoshi, looking at me.

"So, what?"

"How was it?"

"Oh, it was so tiring! I don't how you guys keep doing stuff like this so often. Working from day to night. Waking up extra early just to have meetings. Staying up all night trying to complete assignments. Bleeeeeeeh!" I say, sticking my tongue out.

"Awwww, you poor, poor girl," says Akira, putting an arm around me. "Hungry?"

"Yeah!" I say, rubbing my hands gleefully.

"What would you like to eat then?"

"Ummmm…" I say, alternately closing my right eye, then my left eye. "I know!" I shouted suddenly, causing all three of them to jump a foot in the air. "Ooops, sorry," I say, giggling a little. "Anyway, let's all go eat at the Tokyo Joe's nearby!"

"M'am! A bottle of sake, please!" yelled Soujiro, waving his hand in the air, putting it down only after the waitress nodded in his direction.

"Soujiro! You do know you shouldn't drink so much right? It'll damage your kidneys and then you'll have trou—"

"Yea, yea. You're back, and that means celebrate, which means shake!" he says, pushing my head back.

"Mou! Sou-chan" I say, pinching him on the arm.

"Oy! Kaoru-chan!"

I looked up to find Sano, standing a few feet away from our table, grinning happily.

"Sano!" I say, jumping out of my seat and running over to him.

"Hug?" he says, extending his arms as I neared him. I shook my head a little, laughing at his childishness, as I stepped into his embrace.

"Where have you been these past few days?" he asks, after releasing me.

"New York. Business trip," I say, grimacing a little. Just then, I noticed his friend, looking at our exchange with an amused expression.

"Umm, Sano," I say, jerking my head in his friend's direction.

"Oh!" he says, slapping his forehead. "Kamatari! This is Kamiya Kaoru. And Kaoru, this is Honjou Kamatari. he's a guy, believe it or not."

"Hi!" I say, smiling brightly at Kamatari, confused at this pretty girl who actually was a guy. Wow, and Ithought Sano looked like a girl.

"It's great to finally meet you, Kaoru. I've heard a lot of things about you," he says, smiling warmly at me.

"Oh really?" I say, turning to look at Sano suspiciously.

"I didn't call you a raccon, if that's what you're thinking!" he says, lifting both his hands up to protect himself from whatever form of bodily harm that I may decide to inflict on him.

"Yes, you did!" says Kamatari, laughing.

"Sano!" I yell, smacking him on the back of his head.

"Owww! Kamatari, you traitor! Anyway, I thought it was cute!"

"Raccon? Cute? Mou, you're such a weirdo! Anyway, were you guys planning to have supper or something?" I ask, looking up at the both of them.

"Duh! Use your head, Kaoru. What else would we be doing here?" says Sano, pushing my head to the side.

My jaw dropped open and I stared at Sano. Blowing my hair out of my face, I linked arms with Kamatari and led him away from Sano, towards our table.

"Honjou-san," I say loudly, so that Sano would be able to hear me. "You're welcomed to join us for supper. And you, Sano," I say, turning to look at him. "You can sit and rot somewhere else," I say, sticking my tongue out at him.

Kamatari decided to rub salt in his wounds, like any other good friend would, played along. "I'd be honored to join you for supper, Kaoru. Have fun eating by yourself, Sanosuske!" he says.

"OI! That means I have to pay my own tabs this time!"

* * *

The next morning, I arrive at work with exactly one aim. To try to avoid Kenshin. It should be easy enough. I mean, the Mitsurugi Ryu Corporations isn't exactly small. It is a big, big building with a very huge expanse of marble floors and potted plants. Besides, he'll be really busy with the amount of work that he has that he won't have any time to take little walks around all the other departments. Just keep thinking that and you'll be fine. Even so, as I approach the big glass doors, my pace slows down and I could feel panic begin to rise inside me. 

"All right there, Miss Kamiya?" asks the security guard, coming to open the door for me with a concerned look. "You look lost."

"No! I'm fine, thanks!" I say, giving him a small, nervous, laugh, my eyes darting about the foyer.

Okay, no sight of Kenshin. This is great , I thought to myself. Things are definitely looking up. Now, if only I could get to my department without bumping into him.

"Himura!" I suddenly hear Misao's chirpy voice as I'm halfway across the lobby. "Here's the statistics that you requested the other day."

"Really? Thanks."

Oh. My. God.  
I spotted him a few feet away, talking to Misao. I bit my bottom lip in panic and hurriedly looked left and right, searching for the perfect hiding place. Out of the corners of my eye, I finally found it. Immediately, before either of them could catch sight of me, I lunged behind the huge potted plant and crouched down silently, hoping the gigantic leaves would be able to hide me. I mean…I'm not that fat!

"Kaoru?" Enishi asked, looking quizzically down at me.

Okay…so maybe I am.

"H-hey!" I say, straightening my hair consciously. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be the one asking you that. Why are you squatting down on the floor?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Oh…um…I was looking…for…the…um…squirrel! Yeah, the squirrel!" I say, grinning broadly up at him. "You do know what a squirrel is, right? It's like this small, usually brown and furry animal that darts about really fast and ea—"

"I know what a squirrel is, Kaoru," he says, chuckling a little. "But why in the world would a squirrel be in here?"

"Honestly, I have no idea," I say getting up and avoiding his gaze. "Maybe it got lost and decided to come in here," I say, shrugging my shoulders. "Anyway, don't you have work to do? Why are you here?"

"Oh, this?" he asks, looking at the file in his hand. "I just have to send it to the Sales Department. It's a small trade between the Yukishiro's company and this."

"Right. Why don't you go ahead and do whatever you need to do? You don't have to worry about me and the little squirrel," I say, giving him a slight push.

"Okay, Kaoru. Whatever you say," he says, giving me a small wave before walking away.

Not spotting Kenshin anywhere in sight, I could feel myself relax. I begin to head once more across the lobby to where the elevators were before I stopped short abruptly and turned on my heel, when I spotted him walking towards me. I slapped my forehead with my hand and trying to look as casual as possible, I ducked behind the only other thing in sight…the reception counter.

"Don't you think it would be a better idea…" says Kenshin as he walked past.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Yes! He's gone! As I did a little victory cheer behind the counter in my crouched position, a voice behind me made my blood freeze.

"Kaoru? What are you doing?"

I grimaced slightly before turning to look up at the person. "Oh, hey, Yahiko! I was just…um…looking for my earring," I say, patting the ground beside me in an attempt to convince her.

"Earring?" she asks, frowning a little as he too, got down on his knees and began to pat the ground beside him. "What does it look like?"

"You know what…you don't have to look for it," I say, giving an uneasy laugh. "It wasn't expensive or anything. Besides, it's going to be pretty hard to look for it. Thanks anyway, Yahiko-chan. I'll catch up with you later, all right?" I say, backing away from him while hearing a grunt along the lines of 'don't call me chan!'

I made my way over to some of the couches situated nearby in the corner. Once seated, I began to hit my forehead continuously. Baka! Baka! After what seemed like five whole minutes of doing just that, I stood up, smoothed down my skirt and turned around. Before I could even take a step, I sat back down, sinking lower, and lower in the chair when I spotted HIM talking to Yahiko.

This is totally absurd.

As I stared at the magazines stacked neatly in front of me, a fabulous idea began to form inside my head. Grabbing the first one of the pile, I flipped it open to a random page. Standing up once again, I lifted the magazine so that it fully covered my face, and proceeded to walk across the lobby, for the third and hopefully the last time.

"Ow!" I say, as I accidentally bump into someone. I lower my magazine to see Kenshin staring at me, an amused expression on his face.

"Gomen," I mumbled, my face turning red.

"It's all right. Do you always walk without looking where you're headed?"

"No! Of course not! I only did it because I wanted to av—" I caught myself just in time. "Forget it. It's nothing."

We stood facing each other, an awkward silence enveloping us.

"So, would you like to have lunch with me?" asks Kenshin.

I raised my head in surprise. "Lunch?" I echoed, just to be sure.

"Yeah," he says, giving me a small smile.

"Oh…" I say, a little taken aback at his invitation. I didn't expect him to be so nice even after we were back in Japan. I always assumed that after we left New York, he would turn back to the cold Kenshin again. But it seems, that I was wrong, not that I mind.

"Well?" he prompted.

"Oh, umm…sure," I say, smiling warmly in return.

* * *

"Kenshin?" I say, knocking on his door. When it remained quiet inside, I knocked a couple of times more before pushing the door open slowly, only to find it empty. Okay, so maybe he left for lunch already. I mean, I am 30 minutes late. I gave a little sigh, then turned around and let myself out of his room. And I was really looking forward to have lunch with him too. 

I stepped out of the building, looked left, then right, and gave a little gasp, clutching at my heart. Kenshin stood a few feet away, his gaze fixed on the ground in front of him. He was leaning against the marble wall, one leg propped up behind him, smoking a cigarette. I walked up to him, pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and dumped it into a dustbin nearby. He looked up at me, surprise etched all over his face.

"You shouldn't smoke, Kenshin. It's bad for your health. Anyway, what are you still doing here? Weren't you out for lunch or something?"

"I was waiting for you."

"Oh...sorry to have kept you waiting. You see, I had to finish this little piece of work before lunch and I guess I got carried away…" I say, grimacing a little.

"It's all right. At least you're here now," he says, smiling warmly down at me. "So, where would you like to eat?"

"Ummm…why don't you choose? I can't really think right now. Hunger causes my brain to die."

"Right," he says laughing. "What about Japanese food? If I'm not mistaken, you love Japanese food."

"Hey! You remembered!" I say gleefully.

"I remember everything you say," he says softly, gazing intently at me.

I looked down at my feet as my face flushed a bright red. Why is it that I always get caught up in awkward situations where I don't know what to say or do? Why? Why? Why?

"Come on," he says, pulling me by my hand. "Let's go eat."

Good thing that he knows how to stir a conversation.

"Eat this," says Kenshin, putting a piece of sushi on my plate.

"But Kenshin! I already ate so much!" I say, trying to put the sushi back on his plate.

"Eat!" he says, putting it back onto my plate.

"Okay! Okay! I'll eat it!"

Suddenly, he claps a hand on his pocket.

"My mobile," he says. "Would you mind if I took this?"

"Of course not," I say. "Go ahead."

When he's gone, I immediately picked up the sushi from my plate and put it back onto his plate. I leaned back in my chair and peered around the little restaurant to see whether I could recognize anyone.

"Guess who," says an unfamiliar voice, putting his hands over my eyes from behind me.

"Umm…uh…give me a hint?" I ask.

"My name starts with a H."

"Hannya? Houji Satojima? Hyotokko?"

"No, no and no."

"I give up! Ow!" I yelped as he bonked me on the head.

"The one and only, Honjou Kamatari," he says. "Forgotten about me so fast, huh? By the way, who's Hannya and Houji and Hyottokko? Ex-boyfriends? I know I'm like a girl but man those names are pretty lame."

"Honjou-san! Don't be silly," I say, "Hey, we ate dinner that night!"

"A little slow aren't you today?" he said, grinning, and sitting down in Kenshin's seat. "Who're you here with?"

"Kenshin. And don't get any ideas," I warned as he raised an eyebrow at me. "We're just friends. What about you? Who are you with?"

He turned in his seat and pointed to the right corner of the restaurant. I craned my neck to look at where he pointed and my eyes widened in surprise.

"Who's that girl sitting there? You're eating with your girlfriend?" I ask, looking at the back of the girl's head, hoping that she would turn around. Her shoulder length hair prevented me from catching glimpses of her face.

"A girl?" he asks, surprised. "Are you looking at the right table?"

"Isn't it the one near the window?" I ask, sitting upright so that I could get a better look.

"Yeah, that's the one. But why on earth is a girl sitting there?" he asks, turning to look once more. Just then, he burst out laughing hysterically.

"What? What's so funny?" I ask, slapping him on the arm.

"Hold on. Let me…catch my breath…back," he says, clutching at his sides, an occasional giggle escaping from his mouth. When he had finally sobered up, he stood up, turned around so that he was facing the other table, and yelled, "Sano!"

My eyes widened in shock and my jaw dropped open when Sano turned around to look at us. Automatically, my hand flew up to cover my mouth. "Oh my God," I say, as Sano walked over to us. Kamatari burst into another fit of hysterical laughter when he approached our table.

"What's so funny?" asks Sano.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" I say, plastering a smile onto my face.

"Sano kid! You…gotta listen…to this. She said…you look…" he trailed off, unable to complete his sentence as he started laughing again.

"Look like what?" says Sano, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at me.

"Wait, wait," says Kamatari, lifting a hand up while he took a sip of my water to calm himself down. He took a deep breath, then began again. "You see, she asked me who I was eating with so I pointed to our table. And do you know what she said? She said, who's that…OW!" yelled Kamatari, holding his ankle, where I had kicked him.

"What did she say, Kamatari?" asks Sano, tapping his foot impatiently.

"She said…OW! Stop her from kicking me, Sano!" he whines.

"If you don't talk, I'll kick you too."

" Ok, ok, she asked me who was that girl sitting over there and whether I was eating with my girlfriend," says Kamatari in one breath, jumping out of Kenshin's seat as fast as he could before I could kick him again.

"You WHAT?" asks Sano, turning round to throttle me.

"Mou! It…wasn't…my…fault! You…do…look…like…a…girl…from…the…back! I Told you to cut your hair! Even a roster hair is better than that, it looks like Megumi's hair style."

"Say that again! I LOOK LIKE A GIRL. Take a good look at Kamatari, now that's a girl." he says, pinching my cheeks turning my head so that I was facing Kamatari.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow! Sano! I'm sorry," I say, pouting and rubbing my cheeks. "Honestly, Honjou-san, you're so stubborn."

"Hey you know Megumi?" Sano seemed to catch on just five seconds behind.

"Ya, why?" I was surprised at his voice that just went up about an octive.

His face turned slightly red as he mumbled, "She's mad at me."

"Huh? Why?"

"She tried to cut my hair and I resisted and… well…"

"Spit it out"

"I kind of took the scissior and cut her hair."

"Mou! You did WHAT?" My eyes opened in surprise.

So that's why she wasn't in office this morning when I tried to find her. I took the closest thing and started to wack him on the head over and over. Men these days, how could he!

"Did I miss anything?" asks Kenshin from behind us, causing all of us to whirl around and look at him.

* * *

**Next Chappie:** Kenshin being, no so warm… Tomoe will make her first entry, small one, since the trip. Actually I don't know yet completely. Sorry. 


	16. Fustration

A/N: ahhhh I'm so sorry, I haven't updated for a long time have I? I've been so busy for the last three week I've been living on three hours of sleep every night so I didn't have time to update but now it's beginning of my spring break. I promise, I'll update twice or three times next week… please forgive me. ;;

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* * *

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Chapter 16

Fustration

"Oh, hey, Kenshin," I say, straightening my clothes. "Umm…we bumped into each other by coincidence. It just so happens that they were eating at that table over there," I say, pointing to their table.

"Hey, Kenshin," says Sano, giving him a warm smile.

Just then, a felt a sharp jab in my ribs. "Ow!" I say, turning to look at Kamatari, who jerked his head in Kenshin's direction.

"Oh! Kenshin, this is Honjou Kamatari. Kamatari, this is Himura Kenshin," I say.

Kenshin raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "you guys look and seem fimilar. Are you two related?"

"Me? And him? No way, no how. Not possible," I say, shaking my hands in front of me, earning another sharp jab to the ribs from Kamatari.

"Hello, Kenshin. Nice to meet you, you're a cute one" says Kamatari, grasping Kenshin's hand firmly in a handshake while giving him a wink.

"Likewise," Kenshin said, quickly withdrawing his hand from Kamatari's tight grip. "So, are we ready to leave, Kaoru-dono?"

"Yeah," I say, picking up my bag. "Bye Sano, bye Kamatari-san," I say, giving each of them a hug. "Take care, all right?"

"Wait," says Sano suddenly. "I'll be having a dinner this coming Friday night and I would like to extend an invitation to the both of you. Actually, the invitation cards will be coming around to you guys soon but I thought I might as well just tell you guys about it first."

"A dinner? What's the special occasion?" I ask.

"He'll officially be taking over Sagara Corporations on Monday," interrupted Kamatari said with his eyes sparkling.

"Really? Awww, Sano…you're a big boy now!" I say, giving him another hug. "Congrats! Just don't keep that girl-looking-hair and you'll be fine. I'm sure SHE'll like you better if you return to your little rooster hair and brain."

"Thanks... hey! Rooster brain," he says, blushing a little while giving a small pout. "Make sure you come, okay, Kaoru?"

"I will. Anything for you, Sano," I replied, grinning.

"Oh, and tell Soujiro, Akira and Aoshi for me, okay?"

"Sure thing!"

"Thanks for the invitation. I'll try to be there," says Kenshin tightly.

After that incident with Sano and Kamatari back in the restaurant, Kenshin seems to have undergone a whole personality change and had reverted back to the old Kenshin with his golden eyes. Throughout the entire journey back to the office, the tension in the car was so thick, you could practically cut it with a knife. I tried to rack my brain for what I might have said or done wrong but I always came up with nothing. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eyes. He was expertly weaving in and out of traffic, his eyes fixed on the road in front of him and his jaw clenched really hard, a frown marring his features. He swerved into a parking space in front of Himura's (I'm tired of typing Mitsugri stuff, I don't even know if I'm spelling it right.) Corporations and slammed the door behind him after he had gotten out. Doing the same, I put my hand out to stop him just as he was about to pass me by. I was mildly surprised that he actually stopped as I had half expected him to continue walking.

"Kenshin, what's wrong? You weren't like this earlier," I say softly.

"It's nothing," he says, jerking his arm out of my grasp.

"Look, if I said or did something to offend you or anything, I'm sorry, okay?" I say, a little irritated at his behavior. I made an attempt to stalk past him, but before I could even get a few feet away from him, he grabbed me by the arm and whipped me around roughly.

"Is there something going on between you and Sagara Sanosuske?" he asks, his gaze piercing me.

"What?" I ask, dumbfounded.

"Is there something going on between you and Sanosuske?" he repeated, his voice steely.

"What kind of a question is that? Sano and I are close friends. What's it to you anyway?" I ask, trying to free my arm from his grasp.

"Do friends go around saying stuff like, 'anything for you, Sano? Do friends go around hugging each other so often? I don't think so!" he says, his face hard as his vice-like grip tightened some more.

"Stop it, Kenshin! Stop it!" I say, using my free hand to push him backwards. "Why does it matter so much to you what I said to Sano? Why does it matter so much to you how many times I hug Sano? I've been friends with him for more than six years already. Don't you think that we would be closer to each other? Giving him a hug once in a while shows him without words that I care about him. That I value our friendship. That I'll be there for him whenever he needs me. So what if I'm more open with my feelings towards other people? What's wrong with that?"

Kenshin was so stunned by her outburst that he was unable to speak.

"You know what? I am so sick and tired of all this. Just when I've finally made up my mind, I get second thoughts about it again. Stop being so capricious, Kenshin," I say, giving him one last look before walking away.

"Having trouble, Kenshin?" asks Tomoe, coming up to stand next to him after witnessing the little fight between him and Kaoru earlier, a smile playing on her lips.

"It's none of your business," snapped Kenshin.

"Oh, it is all right," she says, putting an arm out to stop him from moving any further. "I need to know what happens between the both of you."

"Why?" asks Kenshin sharply, turning to look her in the eye.

"Let's just say that it's a source of entertainment to me. Look at you now, Kenshin. You used to date models and girls from the upper class. You could get any girl you wanted without any difficulty. But you choose to degrade yourself and go after a non-entity girl named Kamiya Kaoru. It's pretty hilarious, don't you think? There are so many other girls out there who are way better than her. She isn't hot, she isn't rich. And honestly, I don't know what you see in her."

"Looks and money aren't everything, Tomoe. What matters most is her personality, what she is inside. Didn't anyone tell you that? And what happened to you, Tomoe? You weren't like this last time. Now, you're a whole different person."

"Oh, that's an understatement, Kenshin. I've always been like this. The only one who has changed, is you. Ever since Kamiya came back into the picture, you've avoided me like the plague. Why?"

"You know, I don't need to hear all of this. I've got better things to do," says Kenshin, shaking her hand off his arm.

"Just keep this is mind, Himura Kenshin. I don't take lightly to being bested by another girl. And you can't do anything to stop me from hurting her."

* * *

Kenshin stormed into his office and slammed his door shut so hard that the picture frames hanging on the wall rattled a little. He poured himself a quarter of a glass of vodka and downed the whole thing in one gulp, letting the liquid burn his throat and welcoming the warmth that spread through his entire body.  
He settled down comfortably on one of the couches and picked up the latest issue of Internation and Tokyo's Business, which was on the coffee table. He flipped through the pages absently, his mind elsewhere. Just then, a picture of Sano smiling up at him with the caption 'Future President of Sagara Corporations' below it, caught his attention. He slowly scanned through the whole article, his browsfurrowed together in deep concentration. 

President and founder of Sagara Corporations, will officially hand his business down to his adopted son, Sagara Sanosuske, this coming Monday. Sanosuske, is said to be a person full of caliber. During his teenage years, he studied in the prestigious Tokyo High School, which also produced many other successful people such as Himura Kenshin of Hiten Mitsurugi Corporations and Aoshi Shinomori (explaination below) of Shinomori Corporations. He then moved on to graduate from Tokyo University with First Class Honors, majoring in Economics and Finance. Not only does he excel academically, but he also does so in sports, soccer and tennis being his favorite. Apart from that, he also dabbles in…

He read to the end of the piece, and gaze for a few seconds at Sanosuske's picture, smiling confidently up at him. Then, in fury, he flung the magazine as hard as he could across the room, where it hit the wall and fell into a heap on the ground. He walked over to his window and looked down at the busy streets, something that Kaoru said earlier playing over and over again in his mind.

'Just when I've finally made up my mind, I get second thoughts about it again

I get second thoughts about it again.'

Had she actually decided to give him a chance? He clenched his fists and slanted his eyes broodingly at the thought that he had ruined it…all because of his temper. After staring out the window for a few minutes, thinking hard to himself, he finally made up his mind.

He was going to apologize to her.

And he was going to make sure that she listened to every single word, whether she liked it or not.

"Bye, everyone! I'll see you tomorrow morning!" I yell as I headed out of the office.

"Are you sure you don't need a lift?" asks Yahiko, falling into step beside me. "It won't be any trouble."

"Yes, I'm sure," I say, giving him a grateful smile. "Thanks though."

"But it's dangerous for a girl to be out alone at night," says Misao, squeezing in between me and Yahiko.

"You took the words right out of my mouth!" quips Brian, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"No, it's all right. I can take care of it," I say, trying to convince them.

"Okay then, if you insist. But remember, never stop to talk to any strangers," says Yahiko.

"Avoid walking in back alleys and places that are dark," says Misao.

"Yell if anything happens to you. If not, just make a run for it," says Megumi cut in.

"Oh, and always be aware of your surroundings. Note all the suspicious people and make sure you stay away from them," says Misao holding up fingers to count the things I should remember.

"Guys, I can take care of myself! Honestly, you're making me feel as though I'm a six-year-old on my first day of school! I'm twenty-two, for goodness sake!" I yell, exasperated.

"True, but we can't afford to have anything happen to you. You're too precious to us," says Misao, giving me a warm smile.

"Awwww…I feel so loved!" I replied, grinning up at them.

"How come you guys never said any of these things to me last time when I took public transportation to work and back?" asks Megumi, glaring accusingly at both Yahiko and Misao.

"Uh, well…" begins Misao.

"You see…" says Yahiko, scratching his head and averting his gaze.

"You're…I mean…we…"

"What?" asks Megumi, glaring menacingly at them.

"Well…no harm would ever come to you, would it?" asks Misao. "I mean…"

"You're as strong as ten men," Yahiko said, "well maybe not, but you always carry a pepper spray and all that. Plus you're a doctor, just hit their nerves and they could be damaged for life. Which guy would be crazy enough to mess with you? Besides, rumor has it that you're taken by Sanosuske Sagara who is going to be taking over the Sagara's corp. if they mess with you, their family will all be out of job and in jair?" says Brian, ducking his head almost immediately to avoid Megumi's fist from connecting with his head.  
"Say you're sorry! I am not going out with that ex-rooster head and not to mention WHO CUT MY HAIR. Making me look like a dumb tom boy. I am going to murder him." says Megumi punching both Yahiko and Misao while thinking of all the things she can do to Sano.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…we're sorry! We really are! Let go already! Don't take your anger on us, wait till you see him again." cried Misao, rubbing the spot where Megumi had punched, the flesh fast becoming red.

"No matter how pretty she is, she's such a she-man," Yahiko grumbled under his breath, darting furtive looks in her direction to see whether she had heard him.

"Right. Anyway, we'd better get going now. It's getting awfully late. Sure you don't want to hitch a ride with one of us, Busu?" asks Yahiko.

"Don't call me that. Yes, I'm sure. Now go already. Yahiko-chan"

"Don't call me CHAN!"

"Remember what we said earlier, okay? And give me a ring so that I'll know that you've reached home safely," says Misao, giving me a hug.

"Alright. I will. Bye!" I say, waving to them as I walked backwards, out through the glass doors into the cold, windy night. I whirled around so that I was facing the front again and stopped dead in my tracks.  
Because there in front of me, stood Kenshin, leaning against his car, one leg crossed over the other, both hands in his trouser pocket and his gaze fixed directly at me.

* * *

A/N if you wanted to know why I called Aoshi "Shinomori" 

I decided that I will give Aoshi a second surname that he uses for business things to avoid being stalked at home by weird girls who tries to leech off of him. remember how I said he doesn't have dates anymore in the first two or three chapters? That was because girls wanted his fame and stuff, but now he changes his name, he hopes when he's not in business and hanging out some people don't recognize him in his comfy clothing. (misao meets him as Aoshi Kamiya)

Next chappie: Kaoru's identiy starts to unravel, well the beginning… and don't want to give too much away.

Disclaimer: this is the LAST time i'm putting this up here... i did not quote on quote steal this story, i never claimed this plot to be my own, i said and told you ... think like hundred of time. i have edited this story but basically i have used some other story, i dunno why i can't do this cuz i'm not taking credit for anything, cept the changes... and memories, no i did not take this from memories, took this from a version of.. gah (4 years ago) forbidden love, or was it hidden love or something... i dunno... if you hate how i do this, fine, don't read it. i'm just trying to share this lovely story that appearently rowean some person wrote but i took from some other person not him... ok said and done enough, if you want a complete disclaimer, i'll post it in the end or something... i have to say, if i change stuff, other stuff fits in more... ah i'm tired and i'm off, but keep this in mind, i do not take any credit...!


	17. disclaimer

THIS IS IMPORTANT

though this is not a chapter, if i don't get a reply for this, then i plan on stop writing the story all together...so i'm not updating another chapter until i get your imput in this.

i need to know how many of you want me to continue this story. appearently this story is called memories by reawone or something... but i swear i got this from a friend, about 4 years ago under a name forsaken love or forbidden love or something... i honestly did not know the so called story "memories" existed, but appearently it was the first story, i dunno what happens but i already disclaimed any credit. i just wanted to share a favorite story and see what happens when i add in a twist to the story with K&K.. but if you perfer me to not do this tell me and i'll stop, and delete this story.

i say right now that i am not claiming any credit to the story cept my once in a while imput, in every chapter i generally like to add stuff to it. i get bored and stuff.

what i need is ike a vote, who wants me to continue and who wants me to stop.


	18. Hidden Truth

**A/N: **Thank you so much for those who replied to my disclaimer. It appears that most of you wanted me to continue so I did. Hopefully people stop flaming me for this…

* * *

**Chapter 17  
Hidden Truth**

"Kaoru-dono," he says, straightening himself and making his way towards me. My eyes darted around, looking for a possible escape route. As luck would have it, I couldn't find any. Either that, or I was just really slow. In just a matter of seconds, he was standing right in front of me, blocking my view entirely. Involuntarily, I took a step backwards, clutching the straps of my bag tightly till my knuckles turned white.

"What do you want?" I ask softly.

"To apologize," he says, moving forward one step.

"There's no need to," I reply shakily, taking another step backwards.

"Are you afraid of me?" he asks, his eyes dark and cold.

"N-no," I stammered.

"Then why do you keep moving backwards?" he asks, his golden eyes boring into mine.

"It's…it's getting late and I should be on my way before the guys start worrying. So if you'll excuse me…" I say, swiftly moving away from him.

"Wait," he says, reaching out to grab my arm.

"Ow!" I say, flinching a little. I jerked my arm away from his grasp and inspected the bruise that had formed there due to his tight grip earlier in the day.

"What's that?" he asks sharply.

"Nothing!" I say, moving my arm out of his view and mentally cursing myself.

"Let me see…no, let me see," he says, forcefully pulling my arm while I struggled with him. There was no doubt as to who would have won the little fight. He was, of course, way stronger than me. His eyes widened at the sight of the purple-black mark on my arm. Then he raised his head to look at me, his eyes searching my face. I avoided his gaze and traced his x-scar with my eyes.

"Did I do this?" he asks quietly.

"No!" I say, shaking my head furiously. "Of course not." Still looking at the scar.

"Then how did you get it?"

"I…uh…Yahiko bumped into me really hard today while he was carrying this whole stack of files…and…yeah…the bruise just came," I say, trying to convince him.

"You were never really good at lying, Kaoru-dono," he says after a pause. I bowed my head and averted my gaze away from him. "Come," he says, pulling me gently by the wrist.

"Where are we going?" I ask, following his lead, now staring at his red-brown hair in the night.

"I'm sending you home."

"Mou! Oh…no, there's no need for that. I can get back on my own."

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me, gripping both my shoulders gently and staring intently into my eyes. "If you don't let me send you home, it means that you don't forgive me."

I opened my mouth to say something, but unfortunately, nothing came out. Slowly, I nodded my head in resignation, bringing a small smile onto his face.

"So, where do you live?" he asks, looking sideways at me while he steered his car around expertly.

"Sakura Street," I answered.

"Sakura Street?" he asks, frowning a little.

"Yeah, why?" I ask, turning to look at him.

"Oh, it's nothing," he says, giving me a small smile. "By the way, what's your house number?"

"seventeen."

The whole ride was pretty much silent. Small talk peeped out from boredom once in a while. A few minutes later, he pulled up right in front of my house, without any help whatsoever from me.

"Thanks," I say, smiling warmly at him. Just as I was about to step out of the car, he placed his arm gently on my wrist. I turned to look at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry for everything, Kaoru-dono," he says, his voice filled with guilt and regret, he looked at me from behind he bangs with those big purple eyes.

"No biggie," I say, grinning and getting out of the car. "Good night, Kenshin. Thanks for the ride," I say, before closing the passenger door.

"Kaoru-dono!" he yelled as he scrolled down the window.

"Yeah?" I say, turning around.

"Good night to you too. Sleep well," he says.

I stood there looking at him for a few moments then burst out giggling. "You know, Kenshin, I like you better like that," I say, before entering my house.

Kenshin watched her back until he was sure that she had safely entered the confines of her own home. He took in the structure of the house and noted the sheer size of it. His mind was filled with unanswered questions as he drove back to his own home. Everyone knows that houses on Sakura Street were so expensive that only millionaires were able to afford them. Granted, he was one, but even he wasn't willing to spend so much money on a brick structure. And by the looks of her house, he was sure that it definitely didn't come cheap. He remembers her mentioning that she lived with her brother, her cousin and Soujiro, and that her brother was the one who supported her all this time ever since her parents died. How did her brother get so much money to buy such an expensive house? Or if her parents were the ones who bought the house, they must have been pretty successful and well known. He searched his mind for any possible matches, but came up with nothing. He frowned at the thought that suddenly popped into his mind

Was Kaoru hiding something from him?

* * *

"Sou-chan, wake up!" I say, nudging the lump under the comforters gently. He grunted, turned over on his side, and continued to sleep. 

"Sou-channnnnn, come on…get up!" I say, nudging him harder this time.

"Go away, Kaoru," he mumbled into his pillow.

"Sou-chan, wake up already! It's time to get dressed for Sano's dinner," I say, poking him in the ribs.

He sat up, rubbed his face a few times, and then looked over at me, his eyes on the verge of closing again.

"Can I not go?"

"Of course not!" I say, ruffling his hair. "Sano's expecting all of us to be there. You wouldn't want to let him down, do you?"

"But I'm so tired!" he groaned, leaning his head on my shoulder, his eyes closed.

"Mou! Sou-chan!" I say, pulling him out of bed and shoving him into the toilet. "Hurry up and wash your face, then get dressed, okay? And comb your cow lick. You look like Kamatari!"

"Aren't you going to get ready?" his muffled voice came through the door.

"Shishio isn't here yet," I say grimacing. "But I suppose I should go and change first. I'll see you downstairs!" I say, closing the door to his room behind me softly.

"Aoshi!" I say, running down the steps and giving him a hug.

"Don't you look so pretty!" he says, looking down at me fondly.

"Of course she does," says Shishio, beaming proudly at him. "I fixed her up!"

"Kamatari what are you doing here!" I exclaimed when I thought I saw a girl coming in after Shishio.

"Oh, You know him? he's taking over now since I found a new job. I joined firefighters in the town next to Kyoto. He'll be your hairdresser from now on" Shishio explained.

"Okay, I'm here—ooooooooh… pretty! Like a raccoon!" says Soujiro, grinning pointing at me.

"A raccoon? But I don't want to look like a raccoon!" I say, mortified. "SHISHIO!" I yell accusingly.

"What? What'd I do?" he asks.

"Where's Akira?" asks Aoshi, interrupting.

"Coming!" he yelled, running down the stairs and fixing his tie.

"Slow poke," says Soujiro, poking him in the abs with his always-there-smile.

"EKS!" Akira squealed and jumped five feet in the air.

"Akira's ticklish! Akira's ticklish!" I chanted as I circled him, poking him once in a while. This was the day I'll never forget, Akira being ticklish. I finally stopped when he turned around with a growl and a threat to pin me down and tickle me…

"Moving on, pretend you didn't see that, hear that or anything else," retorted Akira. "Anyway, how do I look?" he asks, turning to look at me.

"Great, cept your hair is all messed up." I say, giving him the thumbs-up.

"You don't look so bad yourself either," he says, giving me a wink.

"Like a raccoon," Soujiro whispered.

"No! Anything but a raccoon!" I say, whacking him on the arm.

"So, Akira," says Aoshi, clearing his throat. "Why so conscious of how you look? Anyone you want to impress over there?"

"Ooooooh…Akira's got a crush, Akira's got a crush," I chanted, skipping around him in a circle.

"No! I don't have a crush," says Akira bopping me on the head. "I just want to look my best."

"OI! Don't mess up her hair!" yelled Shishio, coming over the inspect the damage.

"Okay, everyone ready? Got all your things with you?" asks Akira as we all nodded our heads. "All right then, let's go!"

"I don't understand why people actually like to attend all these formal dinners," Aoshi say grumpily steping outside besides me as I was holding on to Soujiro's arm as we entered the dining hall.

"Well…for the guys, you get to check out pretty girls, and for the girls, you get to check out good-looking guys. Simple," says Soujiro.

"Nobody's that desperate, Sou-chan."

"Are you trying to imply something?" he asks, glancing sideways at me.

"What? Me? No! Of course not!" I say, looking at him innocently, earning a pinch on the arm.

"Jou-chan! Soujiro!" says Sano, making his way towards us through the throng of people. "Oh, hello, Akira and Aoshi. So glad you could all make it!" he says grinning happily.

"We wouldn't miss it for anything, Sano," says Aoshi. "Anyway, congratulations!"

"Thanks!" says Sano. "Anyway, make yourself comfortable, okay? If there's anything you need, just tell me."

"Sure thing. We'll catch you later," says Akira.

"Soujiro, looking good as always. And jou-chan…what can I say? You look beautiful."

"Like a raccoon," says Soujiro.

"Stop it with the raccoon thing already!" I whined.

"A raccoon? Why a raccoon?" asks Sano. "Anyway, are you sure you're not trying to upstage me, Kaoru? Because you're making me feel like the wallpaper over there."

"You're so full of nonsense, Sano. You look pretty good, especially with you're new hair cut. Way better than Soujiro," I say, sticking my tongue out at Soujiro.

"Thanks for the compliment," says Sano, laughing.

"Anytime. Where's Honjou Kamatari?" I ask, just noticing he disappeared since we left the house.

"Who's Kamatari?" asks Soujrio, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, he's this really, really nice guy. Awfully fun too. You should meet him! he's a guy that looks more like a girl than you." I say enthusiastically.

"I heard my name," says Kamatari from behind me.

"Kamatari!" I say, smiling up at him. "Meet Soujiro! He's my bestest friend."

"Hello," says Kamatari warmly. "You must be Seta Soujiro. Sano told me loads about you."

"Sano seems to be talking a lot about us behind our backs, you know," I say to Soujiro. "When I first met Kamatari, he said that he has heard a lot of things about me from Sano. And now, when he meets you, he says the same thing. You tend to wonder what sort of gossip Sano has been telling his friends, huh?"

"Do I look like a snooby woman who loves to gossip, Soujiro?" asks Sano, feigning a hurt look.

Soujiro glanced down at me and I looked up at him. After a momentary pause, he looked at Sano. "Yup!" he says, laughing.

"And the both of you are supposed to be my friends," says Sano, pulling a face. "Oh, I need to get going now. It's about to start soon," he says, checking his watch. "Listen, jou-chan. If things seem a bit strange today…just go with it, okay?"

"Is there something I should know about?" I ask, giving him a sideways look.

"No…none that I can think of," he says, putting on an innocent look. "Catch you guys later!"

* * *

A/N : hmm.. what does that mean, I have yet to decide. i feel like twisting the next chapter a bit, so give me a lil time. and sorry no previouw this time... 


	19. confirmnation

**Chapter 18  
Confirmnation**

"I don't know why people love to dance so much. Don't they have anything better to do than twirl around in their dresses and on high heels too?" I grumbled, personally I think PJ's are the most comfortable, being tied down to formal dresses.

"It's fun to dance once you've gotten the hang of it," says Soujiro.

"Mou, for you maybe," I say, sticking my tongue out.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I hope that you've enjoyed your meal tremendously. You should, because the Sagara's have gone through a lot of trouble just to make sure that everyone will enjoy the food," says the MC, earning a few laughs from the guests. "Anyway, on to more important things. I'm sure this is the time that everyone has been waiting for, am I right?"

"No," I mumbled under my breath, amidst the positive cheers of all the other guests. What important thing? I thought we were here for … well just here.

"Right. Just as I expected. Well, to make this a more memorable moment, why don't we invite our star for the night to lead the dance first? What do you all say?"

"Sou-chan," I say, pulling his sleeve, not really paying attention to what was going on.

"Do you have any sweets or mints on you?"

"Yup," he says, digging through his pockets.

"Sherbet lemon," he shrugged, handing one over to me, ignoring the game that the WC was announcing.

"Unfortunately, Sanosuske Sagara here does not have a partner. Would any of the lovely ladies out there like to dance with him?" asks the MC as another cheer erupted from the crowd.

"Or maybe we should let him choose himself. Should we?"

I happily unwrapped the candy wrapper and sucked on it, scrunching my face up a little at the sour taste.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! Our man here has made a choice! The lucky person is…" he says, as drum rolls were heard.

Just as I was about to stuff the candy wrapper back into Danny's jacket pocket, a bright spotlight shone on me, blinding me for a while. Huh? What just happened?

"THAT LOVELY LADY IN THE BlUE DRESS!" yelled the MC into the microphone, as everyone present either cheered or clapped.

* * *

"What? What's going on?" I muttered to Soujiro, as Sano stepped down from the stage and made his way towards me.

"Just dance! I think it's a game." he mumbled back.

"May I?" asks Sano, winking at me and offering me his hand. I looked around at the sea of faces looking back at me expectantly, waiting for my reaction. Not knowing what else to do, I placed my hand in his and began to dance to the slow ballad.

"Sano! What do you think you're doing?" I hissed under my breath as he guided me across the dance floor.

"Dancing?"

"No! You know what I mean!" I say, glaring at him.

"At least I warned you! It's all part of the plan." he replied, smiling down at me.

"That's beside the point! You know I can't dance!... Hey! What plan?"

"Nothing, no plan, no, I mean you're doing pretty well right now, aren't you?"

"Sano!"

"Okay! Okay! Look, my dad came up with this idea just before the dinner started, and I didn't know what to do. I mean, look at me. I'm not exactly a lady's man, am I? Then I saw you, and I thought, Kaoru would do it. Plus it's just a game."

"Why me?" I ask, peering up at him.

"Well, you've always helped me out when I got into sticky situations like these in the past…so I figured you wouldn't really mind this time," he says.

"Mou!" I say, rolling my eyes. "Oooooh, remember the time when you were being stalked by this girl? And she wouldn't leave you alone no matter what?"

"Must you remind me of that incident?" he groaned.

"After what just happened…yup," I say, grinning up at him.

"Mushi mushi! You're such a rotten friend!" he says, pushing my forehead gently.

"At least I saved you from that girl!"

"Yeah! By saying that I had a lover who also looks like a rooster with dirty feet!"

"It was the only thing that I could think of at that time!" I say, trying to refrain myself from laughing out loud.

"Right. I'm sure," he says, shooting me a sideways glance. "Rooster lover with dirty feet! Did you see how fast she ran once you said that?"

"Lighten up, Sano!" I say, giggling. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been able to get away from her."

"I'm sure I could have come up with a better solution!" he retorted.

"Sano, your brain works so slow that I'm sure it'd take you about six years just to get rid of her. Besides, you should thank me for helping you out. She was scaring you so much that you were barely sleeping!"

"Hey! You'd feel pretty freaked too if somebody suddenly sent a message to your phone telling you to turn off the toilet lights right after you just finished using it! And she wasn't even living anywhere near me!... or so she said" he say, defensively.

"Right, right," I smiled and nodded my head, rolling my eyes.

Just then, Kenshin came up from behind Sano and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"May I?"

"Hey," I say softly, as he took my hands in his. So this his silly plan. Well I didn't expect anything too surprising out of Sano, his rooster hair took any brain that he does have into growing it.

"What was that all about?" he asks, raising an eyebrow and smiling warmly at me, bring me out of my day thoughts.

"It was Sano!" I say. "He needed a partner to dance with and…well…he picked me because I was his friend."

"Are you sure it wasn't because you're the prettiest girl in the whole room?" teased Kenshin, with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Of course not!" I say, blushing furiously, and averting my gaze away from him. "There are so many more prettier girls in here," I mumbled.

"To me, you're the prettiest one of them all," he says, lifting my chin up until I had nowhere else to look but into his eyes. "So, what do you think about us, Kaoru-dono?"

I stared at the top button of his shirt, conflicting thoughts and emotions warring inside me. I know I've taken an awfully long time, from that day in New York up till now, to make up my mind and that it wasn't very nice of me to keep him waiting for so long. Taking a deep breath, I braved myself to look up at him. "Well, we could give it a try," I say, giving him a small smile.

"Really?" he asks, almost unbelievably.

"Yeah."

"Thanks," he whispered, his arms encircling my waist as he kissed me on the forehead.

"Wait…I can't guarantee that it'll actually work out between the both of us…so don't get your hopes up all high and everything, okay?"

"Sure," he says, smiling warmly down at me.

"Kaoru," says Aoshi, as I settled down comfortably on his bed after taking my shower.

Soujiro lay on the floor, flipping through a magazine while Akira sat cross-legged in front of his laptop, not doing his work, totally engrossed in his game.

"What?"

"You know that guy you were with almost throughout the entire night? That Himura guy?"

"Yeah, what about him?" I ask cautiously while both Soujiro and Akira stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me.

"Are you guys…you know…together?" asks Aoshi.

"Umm…kinda," I say, my face flushing a deep shade of red.

"Awwwww…Kaoru's got a boyfriend!" teased Akira, grinning widely while Aoshi barely laughed.

"He's not exactly my boyfriend! I mean, I just said that we could give it a try," I protested.

"Now she's trying to cover it up!" says Akira, throwing a pillow in my direction.

"When did it happen?" asks Aoshi, being protective like always.

"Mou, Aoshi-SAMA! You're beginning to gossip like Tae!"

"No! I'm just looking out for my little sister! What if he turns out to be a serial rapist or something? Or if he has a criminal record? Or if he is a psychopath out to kill girls who are pretty? Or if he was this really cr—"

"Okay, okay, Aoshi! I get the point!"

"You're still not answering the question, Kaoru," Akira interrupted. "When did it happen?"

"When we were in New York," I say, resignedly.

"Did you guys do anything there that you weren't supposed to do?" asks Aoshi, inspecting me.

"AOSHI! Of course not! What do you think I am?" I say, whacking him on the back of his head.

"Just checking!" he say, rubbing his head. "And?" he prompted.

"And what?" I ask.

"What else happened?" he asks.

"Nothing much. Honest!" I say, seeing the look on Akira face. "He just told me about his feelings and asked me to think about it. And that's that."

"And you left the poor guy hanging until now?" asks Akira, shocked.

"Well…I needed time to think about it, right? And he said I could take however long I want!" I say, defensively.

"Yeah…but to keep him waiting that long…" he trailed off. "You are one cruel girl, Kaoru."

"Mou! Aoshi! Akira's being mean to me!" I say, shaking Aoshi's leg.

"Akira," he said, in a warning tone, then burst out laughing almost immediately, indicating that he was only playing around.

"Soujiro, why so quiet?" when I realized the only who didn't say anything.

Soujiro turned to look up at me and managed to question, "Why Kenshin?"

"Well...it's hard to explain. Look, I know the both of you don't exactly get on well with each other, but do you think you could make an exception for me? Please, Soujiro?" I ask, pleading with him.

He sighed loudly, quickly wiping any sign of unhappiness, replacing with his usual smiling face. "Does it look like I have a choice?"

"Thanks, Soujiro! You're the best!" I say, ruffling his hair.

"But," he says, holding up one finger. "I can't promise you anything just yet, although I will try my very best not to sock him in the face every time I see him."

"At least it's a start," I say, laughing, hoping he wasn't serious.

"And if he ever does anything to hurt you, I swear, he will not get away with it," says Soujiro. "And that's a promise."

"Same here," says Aoshi.

"Likewise," says Akira.

* * *

**A/N:** Sano's plan was originally to get her to dance with him. hm… this was kind of short and not a cliff hanger… sigh… I'm losing it… anyways… here's a quick preview:

**Next Chapter**: Tomoe's back in action to embarrass her… a small miniature plot. And some miniature romance.

**Clearify**: to one of my readers… Kamiya Kaoru is her real name, along with Kamiya Aoshi… but Shinomori is used for businesses. That way if Aoshi and Kaoru does get involved with someone not so rich, they won't be used because of their surname. Am I making any sense?


	20. Lukewarm

**Chapter 19  
Lukewarm Day**

* * *

"Kaoru-chan! Wake up," says Aoshi, shaking my shoulders gently. 

"I don't wanna!" I whined into the pillow, burying my head deeper into it.

"MOU! Aoshi!" Aoshi said, propping me up by my shoulders. "You're going to be late for work if you don't move now. Go and wash your face, then come down for breakfast, okay?"

I took my own sweet time washing my face, took a quick shower, got dressed and slid down the banisters into the waiting arms of Soujiro, ever since the time I slammed into the wall, he watched out for me.

"You know, Kaoru, you shouldn't do that so often. You might get hurt… again," says Soujiro, ruffling my hair fondly.

"Nope, I won't. You'll always catch me at the bottom of the stairs!" I say, grinning up at him.

"That's because I can predict you're going to do something dangerous like that. What if one day I totally forget, what will happen to you? You'll fly down the banister and hit, smack, against the wall. You'll end up with a very squashed nose, you know. Would you like that to happen to you?" asks Soujiro, raising an eyebrow at me, a smile playing on his lips.

"You will never forget something like that, Soujiro," I say, wrinkling my nose.

"How would you know?"

"Because you care so much about her that you'll make sure she doesn't get hurt any way. Sliding down banisters included," says Aoshi, leaning against the doorframe that led to the kitchen, grinning at the both of us.

"There is your answer, Sou-chan!" I say, giving Aoshi a hug.

"Morning, Aoshi," says Danny. "Where's Akira?"

"Out running."

"RUNNING?" yelled Soujiro and I at the same time. "Since when did Akira jog?"

"He claims he was getting fat, but I'm pretty sure he's trying to impress someone," says Aoshi with a secretive smile.

"Oooooh…who is it?" I say, jumping up and down in excitement.

"I would tell you if I knew…but, unfortunately, I don't. Akira's been a secretive cow lately," says Aoshi, ushering us into the kitchen. "Eat up, Kaoru-chan, or else you'll be late."

"Who's going to send me to work?" I ask, munching on a piece of toast.

"The guy waiting outside our house," Akira said, entering the kitchen, still clad in his jogging outfit.

"WHO?" chorused the three of us in unison.

"Well, didn't you know that there's someone waiting outside our gates?" asks Akira, taking out a quart of milk from the refrigerator. "A certain, special someone who drives a sleek silver sports car," winks Akira, while looking over at me.

"Are you sure?" I ask, getting out of my seat.

"Yeah, exactly. Why would anyone want to wait for an ugly looking raccoon like her?" asks Soujiro, furrowing his eyebrows as though in deep concentration and pointing at me.

"MOU!" I said, pulling out a bokku out of no where and smacked him on the head.

"Well, it could have been any one of your friends. It doesn't necessarily have to be Kenshin," I say.

"Umm, Kao-chan…why would a guy want to wait for either one of us outside our gates?" asks Aoshi, gesturing to both him and Akira.

"Maybe because he thought you guys were gay!" says Soujiro, snapping his fingers with a smile. "I mean, you guys haven't been dating for quite some time now, and…who knows? You might have given them the wrong impression or something."

"Wait," I say, holding up a finger. "You guys are straight aren't you?" I ask, glancing suspiciously at the both of them.

"KAORU!" they both yelled out simultaneously, while I exchanged a high-five with Soujiro.

"Well, aren't you going out to meet your boyfriend?" asks Soujiro, nudging me in the sides.

"You don't have to sound so anxious to get rid of me, Sou-chan," I say, slinging my bag over my shoulders.

"Alright, guys, gotta run!"

"I'll see you later for dinner, okay?" asks Akira, walking me to the door.

"Sure thing," I say, kissing him on the cheek. "Bye Aoshi! Bye Akira, bye Sou-chan!" I yell.

"BYE!" came their reply and I smiled to myself, shaking my head slightly.

* * *

I found Kenshin leaning against his car, one hand in his pocket, and the other, twirling his spectacles. 

"Kenshin!" I say, running over to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you," he says, straightening himself and pocketing his spectacles.

"Why? Did something happen?" I ask, frowning a little.

"No, nothing happened. I just thought I'd send you to work, since you don't have a car and everything…" he trailed off, smiling down at me.

"Oh, you didn't have to go through so much trouble. One of the guys could just drop me off at work."

"Are they your boyfriend, or am I your boyfriend?" he asks, tucking my hair behind my ears. "Come on, get in," he says, opening the passenger door for me.

* * *

As we pulled up outside Himura Corporations, I hurriedly stepped out of his car after he had cut off the engine, slamming the door behind me. My eyes darted around, checking to see if any one who worked in the office was nearby. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that there were none. 

"Thanks for the ride, Kenshin. I'll catch you later," I say, walking past him.

"Whoa, wait. Hold it right there. Why the sudden rush?" he asks, locking his car and turning to face me.

"I…just don't want to be late!" I say, putting on an innocent look.

"We're fifteen minutes early! I know you're not telling me something and unless you do so, there's no way you're going to enter the office," he says, catching hold of my wrist.

"Kenshin!" I say, pouting.

"Feminine wiles aren't going to work on me. So tell me, what's bothering you?" he asks, grinning broadly.

"It's nothing, really," I say, trying to release my hand from his grasp.

"Tell me. I want to know," he says.

"Umm…I just don't think it's a good idea for us to be seen together in the office."

"Why not?" he asks, frowning a little.

"Well…you're the President of Himura's Corporations, and I'm your hired hand. Don't you see something wrong with the whole picture?"

"…no."

"Okay, let's put it this way. New workers don't exactly go out with their bosses after starting work for only a month."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Kenshin! Everyone's going to think I'm a…" I trailed off. I wanted to say the word slut , but I held myself back, biting the insides of my cheek.

"They'll only think what I tell them to think," he says, taking me by the shoulders and bending low so that he could look straight into my eyes. "And if anyone says anything bad about you, I'll have them thrown out of here before they can take a second breath."

"No, don't do that. Let's just see how things go first, okay?" I replied quickly.

"If you insist," he says, smiling down at me, then drawing me close so that he could place a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"I'll see you after work," I say, smiling.

"You promise?" he asks, gazing intently at me.

"I promise." As soon as I had taken about two steps towards the entrance of the building, I immediately turned around and walked back to where Kenshin stood.

"What's wrong?" he asks, concerned.  
I glanced around, making sure that we were alone, then stood up on tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheek, all the while blushing furiously. I caught sight of his shocked expression and burst into small giggles.

"What are you laughing at?" he asks, grinning.

"That's for me to know, and for you to keep your nose out of! Bye, Kenshin!"

* * *

"Got your points ready?" asks Yahiko, coming to stand next to me. 

"Yup!" I grinned, patting my file. "It's in here."

"All ready to do the presentation?" asks Yahiko.

"I guess," I say. "Misao! Stop pacing so much! You're going to wear out the carpet!"

"I can't help it!" she cries, flinging her arms wildly. "I'm too nervous!"

"It's only a presentation, Misao," says Omasu, tapping a pencil against her cheek.

"Yeah, but it's a presentation with the board of directors of Makoto Corporations! Makoto Corporations!"

"Stop worrying, Misao. I've met Mr. Makoto before and he's really nice. I'm sure his board his of directors aren't that bad either. Just be yourself! His son, Shishio isn't that mean once you get to know him, and he used to be my hair dresser until recently who decided to take over the corporation. So…I think they'll both be here today." I say, trying to calm her down.

"Okay, everyone!" says Tomoe, interrupting our little conversation. "It's time to head over to the conference room. The Makotos will be here any minute."

"Where are you going, Kaoru?" asks Kaoru, gathering all the things that she would need for the presentation into her arms.

"I just need to go to the ladies to freshen up a little bit. You guys go ahead without me. I'll meet you there,"

I say, heading towards the restrooms.

Tomoe waited patiently for everyone to file out of the office. Then, she made her way over to Kaoru's table and fingered the pink file that Kaoru had so carelessly left behind, craning her neck a little to check that no one was re-entering the office. In one swift motion, she took out every single sheet of paper containing important notes and figures that Kaoru had so carefully and meticulously typed out. Her eyes scanned through the papers quickly, then, smiling maliciously, she proceeded to rip them up into small pieces, dumping them into a trashcan on her way out.

* * *

"I'm sorry," I say, bowing slightly as I hurriedly sat down in my seat. 

"It's all right, Miss Kamiya," says a familiar voice.

I raised my head in surprise. "Shishio-san!" I say, smiling. "I wasn't expecting you to be here."

"Yeah, well, me neither," he says, chuckling softly. "I'm here for a few days to check up on things and when I heard about this little meeting, I thought I might as well come. Good to see you again, Miss Kamiya."

"Likewise, Shishio-san and Mr. Makoto." I turned towards his father with a slight bow

"Right, back to business," says Tomoe, clearing her throat a little. "We have done numerous researches in the past few weeks about how to get about promoting our latest products. The response that we got from our surveys shows us that this new product might be a big hit with the people. Kaoru?"

"This graph here shows us that…" I trailed off, opening my file. My eyes widened in shock and I had to blink a couple of times just to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.

"Anything wrong, Miss Kamiya?" asks Mr. Makoto.

"No! No! Nothing is wrong," I replied, flustered. I closed my file almost immediately, not wanting anyone to see its empty contents. "Okay…um…basically, in our latest survey, about 2000 teenagers were questioned on…on…aspects of the new products. Unfortunately, the results were inconclusive."

"The figures, Kaoru?" asks Tomoe, calmly.

"Um…uh…about seventy-four percent of…uh…" I say, scrunching my face up, trying hard to remember.

"Why don't you check your notes?" asks Mr. Makoto, pleasantly.

I blushed a deep shade of red. "Uh…actually…"

"You did prepare for this meeting, didn't you?" snapped Tomoe sharply.

"I did! It's just…uh…the papers kind of…um…went missing," I say quietly, wincing a little.

"Oh…it's all right. It's no big deal. Let's proceed on to something else," Shishio said, smiling warmly at me, saving me from total embarrassment.

As Yahiko stood up to present his work, I excused myself from the table and it took me every ounce of my will power to refrain myself from bolting out the door.

Once outside, I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the cool surface of the wall. What exactly happened to my notes? I was sure that I had filed all my papers for the presentation. Was it possible that I had taken the wrong file? No, I thought, shaking my head furiously. There was only one file on my table. Just then, Misao stepped out of the room.

"You all right, Kaoru?" She asks, concern evident in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say, straightening myself and giving her a small smile.

"Hey," she says, coming to put an arm around me. "Cheer up. Mr. Makoto was pretty understanding about the whole thing. I don't think you'll get into any trouble at all. Plus Shishio is your friend."

"Thankfully he saved me from making a complete idiot out of myself."

"Come on, Kaoru. Show me that bright smile of yours," she says, making funny faces at me. I burst out laughing at her childish actions. "There. See, you're so much prettier when you smile."

"Misao, you do know that I did my work, don't you?" I ask.

"I know you did. You've always been a responsible person," she says, giving my shoulder a light squeeze.

"Let's go back in, okay?"

"Okay," I say, nodding my head. Somehow, I had a gut feeling that Tomoe had done something with my papers, but I decided to keep my suspicions to myself. I'll ask her about it when the time comes.

* * *

After work, I decided to pop by Kenshin's office to see whether he was ready to leave. 

"Kenshin?" I called out, pushing open his door and poking my head in. I gasped at the total chaos that his office was in. Papers and graphs of all sort covered almost every inch of his table. Books and files were littered all over his floor.

"Kaoru!" he says, getting up from his seat and making his way towards me.

"What happened in here?" I ask, closing the door behind me.

"Just doing a little work," he says, wrapping his arms around my waist, and resting his head on my shoulders.

"A little?" I ask, raising my eyebrows, surveying the room.

"Okay, then. Maybe more than a little," he says, tightening his arms around me.

"Are you tired, Kenshin?" I ask, caressing his back gently. He nodded his head against my shoulder.

"Why don't you let me help you with whatever you have to do?"

At this, he shook his head furiously. "Why not?" I ask, pouting.

"I don't want to tire you out," he says, putting his forehead against mine. "You've been working for 9 hours now. You deserve to rest. Which reminds me, I have to send you home, don't I? Just give me a few minutes to get ready, all right?" he says, pulling away.

"Kenshin," I begin. "Let me help. Please? I'm not tired at all. Honest!"

"Are you sure?" he asks, frowning a little.

"Yes, I am," I say, raising my hands to smooth out the creases between his eyebrows.

He looked at me for a while, his eyes searching my face. After a while, he broke into a smile. "All right then. But first, let's go out and have our dinner."

* * *

**A/N**: I went on vacation… sorry I had all my AP testings, then went on vacation and forgot about this, got back just uh… two days ago and jet lag so I took a long time. to make up for this I'll update twice a week for this month. 

**Next Chappie**: KK fluff and relationship revealed to Sano. A night spent together gives... a lot of misinterreptations.


	21. Long Night

Chapter 20  
Long Nights

* * *

"Aoshi," I say. "I'm coming home late today, so don't stay up for me, okay?"

"Why?" he demanded over the phone.

"Because I'm going to help Kenshin with his work."

"Ooooooooooooooh…are you sure you guys aren't going to do anything apart from work?" he teased.

"MOU! AOSHI!"

"Okay, okay! Just playing! Don't come home too late, okay? And please, do take care."

"I will, Aoshi. Tell Sou-chan and Akira I said hi." I flipped my phone shut and headed back into Kenshin's office, shutting the door softly behind me.

* * *

"Boo!" I say into his ear, as I crept up behind him while he stood, flipping through a thick folder.

"Oro?"

"Right, so what do I do?" I ask, as he turned around and flashed me a grin.

"For starters, you can look through this whole stack of files and jot down all the figures and also the year, which are highlighted in yellow. Would that be all right for you?" he asks, leading me to one of the couches.

"Yup," I say, nodding my head, as I settled down on the couch and picked up a file. "No problem."

* * *

Meanwhile…

"I'll get that!" yelled Soujiro, jumping over the coffee table in his rush to reach the door.

"WATCH OUT!" yelled Akira and Aoshi in unison, as Soujiro came close to knocking over a crystal vase, but at the very last moment he twisted to avoid sweeping it onto the floor.

"Got it!" yelled Soujiro triumphantly, throwing open the door. "Hey Sano, hey Yahiko. Come on in!" he says, beckoning to them.

"Hey!" says Akira, clearing the coffee table, which was littered with papers.

"Are we disturbing you?" asks Sano, frowning a little. "Because if we are, we can always come another time."

"No, no. It's all right," says Aoshi, brushing their comment off easily. "It's not important."

"Are you sure?" asks Yahiko with a doubtful face after taking a look at the mess of papers spread out everywhere.

"YES!" chorused Soujiro and Akira.

"Okay!" says Yahiko, raising his hands in front of him. "Just checking! Don't need to shout! You're all acting like that busu. Where is she anyways?"

Soujiro looked at Akira, who looked at Aoshi. Aoshi just shrugged, replying casually saying, "I don't know, I think she said something about spending the night with Kenshin."

"WHAT?" Soujiro jumped up into a kneeling position as Akira raised an eyebrow.

Silence took over this group of five guys as they digested what Aoshi had just said. Soujiro looked horrified, staring at the ceiling, Akira stared at Aoshi to see if he was lying, Yahiko and Sano stared at each other just looking dumb.

"Drinks, anyone?" Aoshi said cheerfully.

More silence.

"ah, she's a big girl, don't worry so much. So drinks anyone?"

"Anything will do," says Soujiro with a forced smile. "Thanks."

"Same here" Sano pitched in.

As Aoshi went off to get the drinks, both Sano and Yahiko sat themselves down on the carpet around the coffee table, forming a little circle, still starring at each other.

"So, what brings along this unexpected visit?" Akira tried to break the silence.

"Oh, we came to see how you guys were doing," Sano said.

"And?" Akira prodded.

"And…what?" asks Sano, looking at Akira innocently.

"Don't look at me like that, Sano. I know you're up to something," says Akira, wagging a finger at him.

"Akira! Why must you always think that I'm up to something? I went out of my way to see how you guys were doing and you accuse me of being up to something? I'm hurt," he says, pouting while Yahiko rolled his eyes.

"Right. I'm sure you're only planning to do just that," says Akira, laughing.

"So where is Kaoru, really?" Sano asked, as if he didn't believe Aoshi.

"HAH! See? I knew it! I knew you weren't here to visit us! You're here to look for Kaoru!" exclaims Akira.

"She really isn't home, and really is with Kenshin." Aoshi said when he walked in with a plate of drinks.

"Kenshin? You were serious?" asks Sano.

"Himura Kenshin, the boss of my company?" Yahiko said in surprise.

"Yeah. Didn't you hear? They're together now!" Soujiro said all too cheerfully.

"Together?" repeated Sano, his face dropping a little.

"When did it happen?" asks Yahiko, eyeing his friend out of the corners of his eyes.

"At the dinner that you hosted!" says Soujiro. "Unexpected, huh? Didn't Kao-chan tell you about it?"

"No…she didn't mention anything about it to me," says Sano, absently.

"well, then, aren't moving along fast?" Akira tired to lighten the mood, yet it came out wrong, so wrong.

Aoshi took one look at Sano's forlorn figure and shook his head slightly, then turned on his heel and headed back towards the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and swapped the cans of cola that he had taken earlier for beer instead. Somehow, he had a feeling that Sano was going to need it tonight.

* * *

After a few hours of looking at figures after figures, my eyelids seemed to be getting heavier and heavier by the second. I rubbed my eyes to try to stay awake and took a few sips of my already cold cup of coffee, which did absolutely nothing to help matters. Kenshin sat next to me on the couch, busy scrawling down figures and punching numbers into the calculator. Unable to bear the drowsiness any longer, I closed my eyes and laid my head gently on Kenshin's shoulder, and drifted off to sleep.

Kenshin felt a light weight being pressed upon his shoulder and turned his head sideways to see what had caused it. He quickly glanced at his watch and mentally kicked himself when he saw how late he had kept her up into the night, completing his work for him. As he looked down at her sleeping figure, he was filled with a sense of protectiveness and tenderness. A feeling that he thought had long vanished from his heart. Carefully, so as not to wake her, he laid her down on the couch. He held his breath when he felt her stir a little, then let it out, when he felt her relax again. He grabbed his jacket, which was slung over the arm of the couch and covered her with it, so that she would not feel cold. Feeling satisfied with what he had done, he bent over her and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"Good night, Kaori-dono. Sweet dreams," he whispered.

* * *

I woke up and groaned as I felt a little kink at the back of my neck. As I moved my neck sideways cautiously, I caught sight of Kenshin, sleeping peacefully, with his head on top of the coffee table. I couldn't help but smile at how adorable he looked. Sitting up, I took his jacket off me and wrapped it around his shoulders. Then, I reached down to tuck his fire read hair behind his ear. Just as I pulled my hand back, his eyes fluttered open and he blinked a few times at me.

"Oops," I say, giggling a little. "I didn't mean to wake you up. Good morning anyway."

"Morning," he says, reaching for my hand, and holding it tightly in his.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"About…" he trailed off, checking his watch. "8.15."

"Aoshi must still be asleep," I murmured to myself. "Kenshin, can you please send me home?" I ask, smiling down at him.

"Sure thing," he says, returning my smile, then getting up and tugging me by my hand.

I slipped the key into the lock and pushed open the door as quietly as I could so as not to wake the entire household.

"Tae-san!" I say, giving a little start as my hand automatically came up to cover my heart. "You gave me a fright! What are you doing, standing behind the door anyway?"

"I heard the key, dear. And please lower your voice. The boys are still sleeping," she says, putting a finger to her lips. "And how come you're only coming home at this hour?"

"Umm…that would be my fault," says Kenshin, poking his head in.

Tae's face immediately turned red as she thought she just interrupted a private matter. Seeing so, Kenshin rushed to explain.

"I made her do some work for me and I guess I didn't know how time flew. She fell asleep on the couch, and I didn't feel like waking her up…so…I let her sleep. I'm sorry," he says, rubbing the back of his head and looking down at his shoes.

"It's all right," says the Tae, smiling up at him. "Come in and wash your face. I'll send some clothes up for you to change after you've taken your shower."

"Oh, no, that's really not necessary. Honestly," says Kenshin.

"I insist. Treat it as a token of appreciation from me for taking care of Kaoru-chan and bringing her home. And you will, of course, be having breakfast with us."

"Yeah," I say, grinning. "Come on, Kenshin."

He looked, first at me, then at the Tae, blushing a little, he said, "All right then. Thanks."

As we walked past the living room I caught sight of five huge lumps, all lying sprawled out on the living room carpet, beer cans littered all over the place. "Tae-san," I say, frowning a little. "Who stayed for the night?"

"Oh, that would be Sano and Yahiko. They drank quite a lot yesterday night and I guess they all passed out on the floor."

Shaking my head a little, I made my way over to the linen closet in one of the guest rooms and pulled out five thick blankets, as tae-san led Kenshin to one of the bathrooms. Walking back to where they lay, I covered each and every one of them with a blanket, making sure it covered them from head to toe.

As I bent over Sano, I noticed that he had dried streaks of tears running down his face. I bit the insides of my cheek, feeling awful, knowing that he had probably come over to talk to me about what was bothering him, only to find out that I wasn't home. Pulling the blanket around him tightly, I quickly wet a tissue and wiped his face gently with it. When I was done, I ruffled his hair slightly and smiled to myself. I stood up, took one last glance at the five of them, then headed back to my room to wash my face and to take me shower…not realizing that Sano had already woken up and was staring at my retreating back in silence.

* * *

Sano sat alone in the living room quietly, staring off into space. Everyone had already woken up and had gone to take their showers. The Kamiya's place was so huge that they had more than enough toilets for every one of them. He, however, had decided to stay put. Just then, out of the corners of his eyes, he saw a shadow flit past.

"Kenshin," he called out.

"Hey," says Kenshin, coming to sit down next to him. "I didn't mean to disturb your…musings."

"Nah, don't worry about it. Anyway, congratulations! I heard the good news about you and Kenshin getting together," he says, smiling warmly at Kenshin.

"Oh, thanks," says Kenshin, returning the smile. "Ummm…no hard feelings or anything right? I mean…you…you know…" he trailed off.

"No hard feelings, Kenshin. No hard feelings," replies Sano after a slight hesitation. There was an awkward silence before he spoke up again. "You sure changed a lot, Kenshin."

"Hmmm? How so?" Kenshin asked, turning in his seat to face him.

"Back in high school, you were such a jerk. A big, fat, meanie is what Kaoru-chan always called you. And now, look at you…totally transformed. Successful, rich and famous. You were always blessed with good looks, so it doesn't really count. But what stands out the most is that you've undergone a whole personality makeover from the last time I saw you. Not that I'm complaining or anything, mind you."

Kenshin gave a little chuckle. "I guess I do have to thank a special someone for it."

"About last night…" Sano trailed off.

"Oh, sorry, I heard you came here to look for Kaoru-dono, but I had to borrow her for the evening to help out with work but we ended up working too late and she fell asleep in the office."

"Eh? So nothing happened between you and her?"

"… oro?"

Sano breathed out wit relief, at least Kenshin wasn't taking advantages.

"Which reminds me…there are a few certain things that you have to know about Kaoru. First," says Sano, holding up a finger as if giving a lecture. "When someone has said something hurtful to her or when she has a fight with someone, she cries wither it's out crying, or just inside. Although she'll never show it to anyone, it's pretty obvious after a while. Second, she cares more about other people than herself. She can't bear to see other people in pain and she would try to do everything in her power to make that person happy again. Third, she loves anything to do with strawberries. From smoothies, to ice-cream, to lollipops…to whatever you can think of which has strawberries in it. Got all that, Kenshin?"

"Yeah…but I still don't get one thing. Why are you telling me all this?" asks Kenshin.

"Because she's your girlfriend now," says Sano, matter-of-factly.

"Thanks, Sano," he says, after a pause. "I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, Kenshin. Anytime. Just promise me one thing, okay?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Treat her well and don't hurt her in anyway. You can do that, right?"

"Yeah, I will," says Kenshin sincerely. "Don't worry."

"It's important that you keep this promise, Kenshin…because you're her first."

* * *

Next Chappie: Kenshin hasa daughter? Tomoe's lucky news.


	22. Kenshin's Daughter?

**A/N:** HAhAHAHA… at first I was just going to go along with the story, but your guys' comments are sooooo funny I'm gonna add in a little twist from the ideas I got from you guys. I love you all.

**Chapter 21  
Kenshin's Daughter?**

**

* * *

**"Guys, come and have your breakfast!" I say, yelling at the top of my voice. 

"Last one down is a rotten egg!" yelled Soujiro, thundering down the stairs.

A few seconds later, the thumping of many feet down the stairs could be heard, as both Kenshin and Sano entered the kitchen first, followed shortly by Soujiro, and Akira. Aoshi came in minutes after everyone else quietly like always whenever Kenshin's around.

"Where's Yahiko?" I ask, setting seven colorful plates down on the table.

"I'm here!" says Yahiko running in, his hair, dripping wet.

"Ewwwww…you're a rotten, smelly and squashed Egg!" says Sano, backing a few steps away from him.

Yahiko turned to glare at Sano, then, smiled evilly, before shaking his head left and right, causing little droplets of water to pelt all six of us.

"Yahiko!" I yelled, pulling out a bokku from behind me and wacked him on the head, only that he ducked and I ended up hitting Kenshin.

"ORO!"

"Haha busu, you have really bad aim," he scoffed, taking a seat at the table and piling pancakes on his plate.

Without hesitation I reached over and pulled his ear, stopping him from beginning to eat.

"WAIT! Don't eat yet! We haven't done the proper introductions yet!" says Akira, slapping Yahiko on the back of his head.

"Ow! Did I suddenly turn into a punching bag or something?" growled Yahiko, breaking into a grin a few moments later. "And you don't need to introduce me to anyone. He's my boss/manager of the company I work at. Morning, Mr. Himura."

"Yahiko, right?" asks Kenshin, returning the smile.

"See," says Yahiko, shooting us a triumphant look.

"And you already know who we are," says Soujiro, pointing to both him and Sano.

"Right. So that leaves the both of us," says Aoshi, grinning. "I'm Kamiya Aoshi, Kaoru's brother," he says, extending his hand towards Kenshin for a handshake.

"Himura Kenshin," replied Kenshin, grasping Aoshi's hand.

"And I'm Kiyosato Akira, her cousin," Akira jumped in, also shaking Kenshin's hand.

"All right, now that everything's settled, LET'S EAT!" yelled Yahiko.

As Kenshin sat at the table, joking and laughing with them, something at the back of his mind kept nagging at him. The name Aoshi sounded awfully familiar. If only he could pinpoint exactly where he had heard it before…

"Kaoru, you should never cook, the pancake is burnt on one side!" Akira complained, while Aoshi smirked at me, and Soujiro just silently nodded his head.

"well, it's not that bad. I'm sure if Kaoru-dono cooks more often, she'll get better." Kenshin said with a happy face, giving me smile.

"Thank you, Kenshin" I said back with warmth while I smacked everyone else.

"You know," begins Soujiro, folding his arms on the table after the dishes were cleared. "It's a good thing you guys fell asleep at the office on a Friday night. Imagine if you were caught together, still clad in the same clothes as the day before by all your workers."

"Yeah…it's pretty hard to clear up those kind of rumors," says Akira, shuddering a little. All six pairs of eyes turned to look at him. "What?"

"Have you been caught before, Akira?" I teased.

"Were you doing something with your secretary?" asks Soujiro, poking him in the sides.

"No, I wasn't!" exclaimed Akira, turning a deep shade of red.

"Oh really?" drawled Aoshi, grinning broadly at him.

"Stop it, Aoshi!" wailed Akira.

"Anyway, don't the both of you have things to do and places to go? It's a Saturday!" says Aoshi, ruffling my hair. "You honestly weren't planning on staying home, were you?"

"Not really. As a matter of fact, I think we should be leaving now," says Kenshin, pulling me up and leading me to the door. "Thanks for breakfast. I'll have these clothes cleaned and sent back to you."

"No problem, Himura," says Aoshi. "Take your time in returning them. It's not like we need it in a rush or anything."

"I will, thanks again!"

* * *

"Where are we going?" I ask, as I fastened my seatbelt securely. 

"To meet someone," he says, grinning at me.

"Ooooooh….who?" I ask, clapping my hands together.

"You'll see," he replied secretively.

"Wait, you're not bringing to meet your parents or anything, are you? Because if you are, you'd better turn back. I'm not dressed properly AND I didn't prepare a gift for them," I say nervously.

"No, I'm not bringing you to meet my parents. Don't worry!" he says, controlling the steering wheel with one hand, and reaching for my hand with the other.

"Umm…don't you want to change your clothes first?"

"Nah. I have spare clothes over there. Just sit back and relax, okay, Kaoru-dono?" he asks, smiling at me.

"Okay!" I say, leaning back in my seat and making myself comfortable.

* * *

We came to a stop in front of a beautiful white cottage, which was situated at the end of the road. It had a red slate roof and a dark green front door. There were yellow roses and honeysuckle, growing up a lattice round the door and the leaded windows, and in the big garden, a huge cherry tree stood in one corner. 

"Wow," I breathed, getting out of the car. "It's beautiful!"

"It is, isn't it?" says Kenshin, coming to stand next to me. "What are you waiting for? Let's go in," he says, pulling me by my hand.

"Don't we have to ring the doorbell first?" I ask, as he pushed open the little white gate.

"No. Not really," he says, winking at me. Then, he turned the knob of the front door, stepped inside the house and yelled, "SAKURA-CHAN!"

I heard a little girl squeal from upstairs, then the clicking of her shiny black shoes against the parquet as she ran down the stairs and straight into Kenshin's arms.

"Otou-san!" she yelled delightfully.

* * *

I was rooted to the ground, my jaw wide open in disbelief as I stared at what was happening right in front of my eyes. 

"So, how's my little girl doing?" asks Kenshin, lifting her up into his arms. "Have you been good?"

"Yup!" she replied, nodding her head furiously, causing her curls to bounce up and down on her shoulders.

"Did you eat all your meals?"

"Uh-huh," she says, still nodding her head.

"Did you listen to Aunty Ayame?"

"Uh-huh."

"Really? I'm going to go ask her," says Kenshin, tapping her lightly on the nose.

"Otou-san…" she trailed off, looking at me. I hurriedly plastered a smile onto my face but I guess something must have showed because Kenshin set the little girl down on the floor almost immediately and took a step towards me.

"You… and Tomoe?" I managed to choke out with trying to keep a smile for the girl.

"It's not what you're thinking," he says in a rush. "She's not my daughter. Honest!"

"Okay…" I say doubtfully.

"I've always tried to get her to call me Onii-san but she always ends up calling me Otou-san," he continued.

"Okay…"

"I think she may have some problems with her brain or something...maybe it's some sort of deficiency that causes her not to be able to differentiate between Onii and Otou."

"All right! All right! I get the drift. She's not your daughter!" I say, laughing. Bending down so that I was eye level with the little girl, I smiled at her and extended my hand towards her.

"Hello there. I'm Kaoru. What's your name?" She quickly ran behind Kenshin and peeked out from behind his legs, ducking almost immediately when she caught me still staring back at her.

Okay then, I know I look hideous, but she doesn't need to be THAT scared of me! I mean, come on, the mirrors don't crack every time I look into them, do they?

"Sakura-chan, don't be shy," coaxed Kenshin, trying to get her to come out from behind his legs. "She's really nice. Come on out. If you do, I'll let you eat ice-cream later!"

"Promise?" she asks, extending her pinky towards him.

"Promise," replied Kenshin, linking his pinky with her.

Then, after pinching her lightly on the cheeks, he pushed her gently in my direction. She took a few tentative steps forward, often turning to look back at Kenshin who kept encouraging her to come closer towards me.

"Hi, nee-san," she says, looking down at her shoes, her right hand holding on to the edge of her skirt while she twisted her body left and right.

"Hello, Sakura-chan," I say, tilting her chin up so that she was looking at me. "You look very pretty today."

"Really?" she asks, her whole face lighting up.

"Really," I say, smiling at her.

"Nee-san," she says, looking up at my hair clips. "I've got clips which are sparkly too!" she says, pointing to her own clips.

"Oh? Where did you get yours from?" I ask, admiring her clips.

"Otou-san bought it for me!" she grinned, pointing in Kenshin direction, who muttered 'oro' at that title.

"Why do you call me Otou-san but you call her Nee-san? If I'm Otou-san, she should be Oka-san!" says Kenshin.

I stared at Kenshin, did he know what he just said? After looking at my flushed face, he realized what he just implied and started blushing as well. But Sakura-chan just kept on talking.

"Nope," says Sakura, shaking her head then picking up a blue crayon and a sheet of paper nearby. We both crowded round her to see what she was writing.

Kenshin old + take care of me Otou-san  
Kaoru pretty + nice Onee-san

"Oro! Sakura-chan!" says Kenshin, bopping her lightly on the head while I laughed.

"So, Kenshin," I say, leaning back on the couch. "Whose child is she?" I ask, looking over at Sakura who was playing with both our cell phones.

"Well," he began, coming to sit next to me. "Are you sure you want to know about it? It's a pretty long story."

"Why not? I've got the entire day!" I grinned.

"Right. But you have to promise me one thing, and that is to never tell a single soul anything that I'm going to tell you now, okay?"

"Okay," I say. "Do you want to link pinkies with me?" I ask, extending my little finger towards him.

"It wouldn't hurt, would it?" he replied, all the while grinning broadly while he linked his finger with mine.

"It all started when…"

Unknown to the both of them, littleSakura had accidentally pressed the call button on Kenshin's cell phone, enabling the person on the other line to listen in on their entire conversation.

* * *

Tomoe rummaged through her handbag for her ringing cell phone. She whipped her phone open and her smile widened when she saw Kenshin's number blinking on the screen. 

"Hello?"

When there was no answer, she called out again.

"Hello? Kenshin? Are you there?"

Just as she was about to disconnect the call, thinking that Kenshin had probably pressed the call button without knowing it, she heard his voice through the phone, loud and clear.

"Two years after my mother died of cancer, my father had an affair which resulted with this child."

"I'm sorry," came another voice, which sounded awfully like Kaoru, causing Tomoe to frown a little. "By the way, where's her mother?"

"She ran off with another guy and left her daughter here."

"Oh dear…why didn't you all just raise her in your own home? Wouldn't it be more convenient?"

"We couldn't. It would tarnish my father's reputation, and it would set all the reporter's tongues wagging if they found out he had an affair. So, we hired a nanny to take care of her here."

"Wouldn't she feel…lonely?"

"Well, Dr. Genzai brings his little nieces over to play with her once in a while, and I make it a point to come and visit almost every day. Apart from that, her nanny often brings her cousins over too, just to keep her company."

Feeling that she has heard enough, Tomoe flipped her phone shut and her smile widened some more. So, the Himura have an illegitimate child, eh? This will teach Kenshin and Kaoru never to mess with Tomoe, she thought as a plan began forming in her head.

* * *

**A/N**: I need your opinion. Right now I'm thinking of putting Tomoe into some confinement. But i thought it'll be fun to hook her up with Akira. Any opinions? Currently I'm thinking of pairs for Soujiro, but it's kind of hard, and Sano won't have a pair, but I have my reason. (it's really sad). 

**Next Chappie**: their last waff for a long shot. Tomoe finds ways to reveal Kaoru's secrets.


	23. Inspections

**A/N**: Important, I need everyone's opinion. Should I pair Tomoe with Akira after I make her suffer and redeem herself, or lock her up in some confinement forever. Who should Misao be paired with? Aoshi or Soujiro. Since Misao can't have the "child" love for Aoshi.

i had this ready to go on tuesday, but somehow my internet failed so i went to the school to use it, but it doesn't let me on certain sites. so sorry i made u wait.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 22  
Inspections**

Tomoe sat in her office, twirling in her chair. She felt awfully elated that she had found a way to cause hurt to both Kenshin and Kaoru. Kaoru, for taking Kenshin away from her, and Kenshin, for dumping her. They both deserved it.

Feeling bored, she stopped twirling in her chair, when she caught sight of the latest issue of J-news on the table. She reached for it and began to flip through the pages absently, only coming to a stop on the page with the heading 'The Fifty Richest Bachelors in Japan. She scanned through the pictures, stopping only at the good-looking ones to read their information.

_Number 31  
Name : Kogo Katsura  
Age : 24  
Estimated wealth : 25 million  
Position : Chairman of Kogo Corporations  
Siblings : One younger brother  
Status : Lives in New York; currently single._

_Number 24  
Name : Himura Kenshin  
Age : 22  
Estimated wealth : 40 million  
Position : President of Himura Corporations  
Siblings : None  
Status : Lives in Parks Street; recently split from girlfriend, Yukishiro Tomoe._

She clenched her fists in anger at what she read, but she calmed down quickly, reminding herself that Kenshin will be hers… eventually, anyway. After Kaoru is out of the picture.

_Number 16  
Name : Sagara Sanosuke  
Age : 22  
Estimated wealth : 48 million  
Position : President of Sagara Corporations  
Siblings : None  
Status : Lives in Honda Street; currently single_

"My, my, my", she thought. "This is surprising. I never knew Sano was so capable…so…rich."

_Number 12  
Name : Shishio  
Age : 23  
Estimated wealth : 52 million  
Position : Chairman and major shareholder of Japan Hairstyling Corporations, used to be a famous hair stylest.  
Siblings : none  
Status : Lives in Honda street. Current girl friend, Yumi_

_Number: 9_

_Name: Kiyosato Akira  
Age: 26_

_Estimated Wealth: 53 million_

_Position: Vice president of Kamiya Corporations_

_Sibilings: none_

_Status: lives on Edo street. Currently single._

_Number 8  
Name : Shinomori Aoshi  
Age : 27  
Estimated wealth : 65 million  
Position : President of Kamiya Corporations  
Siblings : One younger sister, Kamiya Kaoru  
Status : Lives in Edo Street; currently single._

_Number 3  
Name : Hiko Seijiro_

_Age : 49  
Estimated wealth : 66 million  
Position :Retired Pres—_

Suddenly, she jerked her head back up to look at Shinomori Aoshi picture. He seemed oddly familiar. She scanned through the little bit of information again and inhaled sharply at what she read. Kamiya Kaoru. She zeroed in on his picture and tried to recall where she had seen him before. In a flash, it came to her. First, at the boutique and later, at the Sagara's dinner party, with Kamiya Kaoru . The ends of her mouth curved into a sinister smile. So, our dear little Kaoru has been keeping a secret, eh?

"Miss Yukishiro?" asks Megumi, poking her head into Tomoe's office. "There's a man waiting outside who claims that he has an appointment with you at 11.30 A.M."

"Send him in, please," she says, getting up from her seat and clearing her table.

"This way, please," says Megumi, ushering him into Tomoe office, then closing the door behind her.

"Good morning, Yukishiro-dono," bows the man.

"Good morning, Kanryu Takeda. Please have a seat."

"Did you want to see me about something?" he asks, seating himself directly in front of her.

"There are two people that I would like you to check out for me. I want every little bit of information on them. Do you think you can do it?" she asks, sliding a picture of Kaoru towards him.

"You said there were two. Where's the other one?"

"There's a little girl that she'll be visiting some time soon, her name is Sakura Seijiro. That, would be the second person."

"How much are you offering?"

"Just name your price," says Tomoe, taking out her checkbook.

"Twenty-five thousand."

"Deal," she says, signing the check with a flourish and handing it over to him. "How soon would I be able to get their information?"

"In a week."

* * *

"Guess who?" says Kenshin, covering my eyes from behind me, and leaning close to whisper into my ear. 

"Kenshin!" I exclaim, pushing him away. "We're still at the office!" I say, darting a furtive look around to see if anyone saw what we were doing.

"But everybody's gone home!" he whined. "It's way past working hours and I am willing to bet that there aren't that many hardworking employees here who are willing to stay back and work for extra hours, voluntarily," he says, putting extra emphasis on the last word.

"Really?" I ask, hurriedly putting away my things. "What time is it anyway?"

"6.30."

"WHAT?" I cried, whirling around to face him.

"Yup! It's 6.31 now. Why? You have a date or something?" he asks, his eyes twinkling as he came over to wrap his arms around me.

"Oh, how did you know?" I ask, playing along with him. "Are you stalking me?"

"Possibly…" he trailed off, cocking his head to the side. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"It's a secret," I say, grinning up at him.

"Then I'll just have to hunt him down myself and beat him up for messing around with my girl," he says, kissing me on the forehead. "So, want to have dinner together?"

"Not tonight, I can't."

"Why not?" he pouted.

"Aoshi bringing us out to eat tonight," I say, shooting him an apologetic grin.

"Can't you skip this one meal?" he asks.

"Nah, I shouldn't. I'm sorry, Kenshin. I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

"But today's my bi—"

"Your what?" I ask, turning to look at him questioningly.

"It's nothing. Forget it," he says, shaking his head. "Come, I'll send you home."

* * *

(Normal pov) 

Kenshin pulled his car to a sharp stop in front of his house, crunching gravel beneath his tires. As he entered his house, he smiled at the servants that bowed to him in greeting. Upon reaching his room, he took off his jacket and flung it onto his bed. Then, he unbuttoned his collar, yanked his tie off him and rolled up his sleeves, slumping down onto a nearby leather couch miserably.

He slid his hand into his trouser pocket and took out the blue velvet box. Slowly, he lifted the lid and gazed at the pair of silver rings which lay inside. He took out the thinner silver band and held it up against the light, closing one eye so that he could read what was inscribed on it.

_Kaoru&Kenshin  
_

He dropped the ring back into the box and snapped it shut, slipping the box back into his pocket. He had bought it a few days ago, hoping to put it on her finger today…on his birthday. But, it seems as though Kaoru had forgotten about his birthday. Either that, or she didn't care. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, massaging his temples gently.

A few minutes later, his cell phone rang shrilly, jolting him from his little nap.

"Otou-san!" came Sakura's happy shriek.

"Hello, Sakura-chan," he said, smiling. "And it's Onee-san, not Otou-san."

"But I like Otuo-san better," she whined.

"Okay, okay! Now, what did you call me for? Did something happen to you?"

"Nope. I just wanted to wish you a great, big, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

"Sakura-chan, you don't have to yell. I can hear you perfectly fine. At the rate you're screaming, I'll be deaf in 10 minutes."

"I'm sorry," she says, giggling a little. "Anyway, do you want to come over and celebrate your birthday wi—YAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Sakura-chan? Sakura? This is not the time to play tricks. Sakura, answer me," cried Kenshin into the receiver frantically, but all he got in return was a dead line.

Leaping to his feet, he hurriedly ran out of his room and hopped into his car, driving as fast as he could towards the little cottage.

* * *

Kenshin got out of his car and his heart dropped at what he saw. The little picket gate that led to the cottage was left ajar. Flowers with broken stalks were strewn over the garden, as though someone had carelessly trampled over them. He reached in his car again to grab his sakabatou. As he neared the door, he noticed it was left open too, and that the lock had been tampered with. The insides of the house were dark, and Kenshin stepped inside carefully, moving his hand along the walls to guide him. Worry began to assail him from all sides when he could not feel a single presence inside the house. 

"Sakura-chan?" he called out. "Sae-dono? Are you guys all right?"

He stumbled a little and cursed audibly when he banged his hip against the sharp corner of a table. As he straightened himself, he drew in a sharp breath and froze, all his senses alert when he heard something…a distinct click, as though the trigger of a gun was being pulled back.

He made his way across the room, to where the light switch were as quietly as he could, his heart thumping against his rib cage and blood pounding through his head. He finally found the light switch, and with sweaty palms, he pushed it upwards, flooding the entire place with light, blinding him for a moment while his eyes adjusted themselves to the sudden brightness.

"SURPRISE!"

Kenshin nearly jumped out of his skin at the chorus of all his friend's loud voices. He stood rooted to the ground, scanning the eager and happy faces of five of his closest friends, namely, Shishio, Kamatari, Iizuka and Sano. Just then, Sakura squeezed between their legs and came running towards him.

"Otuo-san! Were you scared?" she asks, giggling, when Kenshin lifted her up into his arms.

"You're getting naughty, Sakura-chan. Trying to scare your Otuo-san like that. Do you know how worried I was?" he asks, pinching her cheeks.

"Those nee-san made me do it!" she says, pointing at the laughing guys.

"You guys are rotten, do you know that?" asks Kenshin, laughing as he walked over to them. "Already in your twenties and still playing childish tricks on other people. When will you guys ever grow up?"

"Ooooooooooh…that's mean!" says Iizuka, folding his arms across his chest and pouting. "We planned this surprise party for you and all you could do is just scold us? You meanie. Right, Kamatari?"

"Yeah! Meanie Kenshin," says Kamatari with his high pitched voice, sticking his tongue out at Kenshin.

"Awwwww, come on. I was just playing! Honestly, the both of you are sooooo sensitive!" laughed Kenshin. "By the way, thanks for all these, guys. I really wasn't expecting it."

"You thought we would forget, eh?" says Shishio, patting Kenshin on the shoulder.

"All right, then. Now that he's here, we can all start eating!" yelled Eric, ushering everyone into the dining hall.

"No!" says Sano. "There's still one more person."

"Who?" chorused everyone, turning to look at him questioningly.

As if on cue, the front door burst open and a girl with her hair in a wild disarray behind her ran towards them. "All right, I'm here!" she panted, gasping for breath. When she got her breath back, she straightened herself and looked around at the small crowd, finally catching sight of Kenshin. She bit her bottom lip, and scrunched her face up a little.

* * *

(Kaoru's pov) 

"I'm a little late, aren't I?" I asked, meekly.

"Yes, Kaoru-chan, you are," says Kamatari, grinning at me.

"I'm sorry. I got caught in the jam and the cab driver couldn't do anything about it. I'm really, really sorry."

"It's okay. What matters most is that you're here," says Kenshin, coming over to stand next to me. "I thought you had to attend some dinner with your brother."

"Oh…that…umm…I lied," I said, my face flushing red with embarrassment.

"Oh? Lying to your boyfriend, eh?" teased Kenshin.

"BOYFRIEND?" yelled Iizuka, Kamatari and Shishio.

"Oh, yeah…guys, meet Kamiya Kaoru, my girlfriend. Kaoru-dono, this is Iizuka, Kamatari, and –"

"Shishio! Kamatari!" I yelled, totally flabbergasted.

Shishio, who was happily munching on a little cupcake looked up at me in surprise. His jaw dropped open in disbelief as recognition finally dawned on him. "Kaoru? What are YOU doing here?"

"I should be asking you that!"

"I'm Himura's friend!"

"And I'm Kenshin's girlfriend!"

"Girlfriend? Kenshin doesn't have a girlfriend! Do you, Himura?" he asks, turning to look at Kaoru.

"Yes, I do, Shishio. If you had been listening to our conversation earlier, you would have known that she, is my girlfriend. By the way, I didn't know you guys knew each other."

"I didn't know you knew him!" I say, pointing at Shishio.

"And I didn't know you knew her!" he says, pointing back at me.

"Okay, this is weird," says Kamatari, watching our exchange with an amused expression.

"Exactly. How did you guys meet anyway?" asks Iizuka.

"She's my client."

"He cuts my hair."

"Umm…do you think you guys could answer, ONE AT A TIME? My brain can't interpret so much information at one shot," says Iizuka, looking at the both of us.

"That's because you have a really small brain, Iizuka," says Sano, tapping him on the head lightly.

"Whatever. You're just jealous," he retorted, walking towards the dining hall.

"Excuse me?" yelled Sano, walking after him. "Why would I be jealous of your small brain?"

As they argued all the way towards the dining hall, the rest of us laughed as we shook our heads at their childish display.

"Kaoru-dono," says Keshin, slipping an arm around my waist. "Let's go out and take a walk around the garden."

"Okay," I say, smiling up at him. "My ears need a break from all this noise anyway."

As wewalked side by side, he reached for my hand. My fingers curled into his while strolling for a peaceful walk in the back yard. The moonlight cast dark shadows all around us and the only sounds that could be heard in the still night air was our silent breathing and our thudding footsteps.

"Oh, Kenshin," I say, turning to face him when we had reached the large cherry tree.

"Hmm?" he asks, turning to look at me.

"Well…I bought this for you. As a birthday gift," I say, as I pushed a little wrapped parcel into his hands.

"It's not much though. I didn't know what to get for you."

"May I open it?" he asks, grinning at me.

"If you want to," I say. "But don't expect anything great…"

"I won't," he promised. As he tore open the wrapper and lifted the lid of the box, I crossed my fingers behind my back for luck. "Thanks, Kaoru-dono," he says, giving me a warm hug. "I really like it. It's by far the nicest gift anyone has ever bought for me."

"Don't lie!" I say, punching him playfully on the arm. "Did you see the gifts that Sano, Iizuka, Kamatari, and Shishio bought for you? It was like…whoa…"

"But I still like your one best."

"Awwww…thanks Kenshin," I say, smiling up at him. He lifted the silver, rectangular key chain from the box and attached it to the bunch of keys which he always carried around with him.

"There," he says, flashing the side of the key chain with his name engraved on it, at me. "Now everyone will know these keys belong to me!" he says, laughing. "By the way, I've got something for you too."

"Something for me? But it isn't my birthday!"

"It doesn't have to be your birthday for me to buy you a gift," he says, tapping me gently on the nose. "Now close your eyes and give me your hand."

"You're not going to put a bug in my hand or anything, are you?" I ask fearfully. "I hate creepy crawlies!"

"No, I'm not. Now hurry up and close your eyes!"

Obediently, I did exactly what he told me to do. All I could hear was the rustling of his clothes as he moved around. Finally, I felt him hold onto my hands and slip something cold onto my finger. I snapped my eyes open and stared at what he had put there. I raised my head up to look at him questioningly.

"It's a couple ring," he says nervously. "Almost all the couples have one."

"Where's yours then?" I ask.

"Right here," he says, showing me the silver ring on his own finger.

"No, take this back." I replied while taking the ring off.

"… I'm sorry Kaoru-dono. I know this whole Tomoe thing and you has upset you very much, but believe me, I'll never let her do anything to hurt you, never again. Please? Accept me? I know I don't deserve you and all, but I promi—"

Before he could finish his random blabbering, I stood up on my tiptoes to shut his mouth up nicely, place a soft kiss on his lips. Well I have to say, he stopped talking, just when he tried to kiss me back, I forced myself to pull back. Staring into his confused innocent face.

"oro? Kaoru-dono, what's this about?"

"I will accept this, if…"

"If what?" he cut in before I could finish.

"If you don't call me Kaoru-dono anymore. Please, just call me Kaoru."

"Oro? Well, whatever my queen asks. Though then I ask you to just call me Shinta tonight. That was my name before my step father changed it."

"Shinta." I tasted the name on my lips. "Thank you, Shinta"

"That's what I'm supposed to say, Kaoru," he says, holding me close to him. "Thanks for everything."

He lowered his lips and captured mine. opening my mouth, I slowly brushed my tongue against his for a few times, teasing him, until I heard him whinning. Finally giving in, our kiss turned from a gentle and slow paced one into a deep and passionate one. His hands started to rise up my back as I reached up to pull him closer to me by his neck. My other hand twirling his hair, until he pushed me against a wall. The hand on his neck felt the cool bricks as I moved it down to gently pace it on his chest, feeling his heart beat, synchronizing with mine, racing, as we finally broke apart from the demand to breathe at the end.

"Wow, now, THAT was my best birthday gift ever." Kenshin said breathlessly.

* * *

**A/N** I think it might be the last chapter or Kaoru and kenshin's perfect happiness, for the time being. It's hard to write a kissing scene in first person, so forgive me if that wasn't the best. 

I changed Sakura's nanny from Ayame to Nanny Sae.

**Next Chappie**: the beginning of a stream of very bad, and very unfortunate events.

**Review replies**: I think it's time for me to reply to some things, you all been great, and I owe you at least this.

**oro kenshin**: hopefully this chapter didn't disappoint you.

**Green Animelover**: Thanks, hopefully I can keep updating fast, because I want this move to the fun parts. Was this chapter too slow moving?

**krazyANIMEchic**k: I was going to make Tomoe have a daughter with Kenshin, till you all told me to kill her, so I guess she's not very popular.

**ME**: wow, I would NOT wanna piss you off. Who knows what you'll wish for me if I do. Ok, for you and the other readers who want me to kill her, I'll make her suffer a little. Maybe a lot.

**mistress of mist** : Confinement, as in something like mental hospital. Soujiro, I think I'll ship him to new york or something. It all depends who I hook Misao up with. And Tomoe and Akira, if I want them, then I'll find someway for Tomoe to repent.

**Lynn-Minmay**: I'm glad Sakura was popular with most of my readers including you. and Tomoe, no worries, she's evil, I'm more evil.

**kiera**: I'm glad, hopefully I can surprise you. if I ever get too predictable, tell me. some parts I can't help, since I have to include them.

**Anonymous but very interested**: Tomoe? She's always up for the same thing. Ruin Kaoru and Kenshin's love life. except she'll go one step too far. But can't say too much. And I will make her regret, regret plenty, and suffer. Good idea, I think I'll devote part of a chapter for Tomoe's self pity and stuff. Confinement as in mental hospital type, or jail. And Sano won't be paired, because of he will serve a very, very special reason. With Soujiro, well, it depends on what my readers think. Should I have a Soujiro/Misao, or Aoshi/Misao? O, that was long reply, and thanks for your constant support!

**ahou incarnate**: hopefully you like it so far. And if you want to give suggestions, I do take them, plenty, though if I can't fit it in, sorry, but I do listen a lot.

**miniwoo** : Sorry, Danny would be Soujiro. In about few more chapters, everything will change, I will punish Tomoe, and make some miracles happen. So it will be different from the original. I'll change Tomoe when I no longer need a villain. And the pairings, sorry, I meant for Megumi to be evil, but for some weird reason, I didn't. if I used Megumi, everything would've worked out perfectly. I don't like the pairings much either, I kinda realized that I screwed up after the 4th chapter.

**Jouko-chan**: that's good, Tomoe fans normally think I should've used Megumi for the villain. But I decided to stick with it and make her suffer.

**Antica**: it's called my lovely cliffies. And yet I do love them. agreed, Tomoe needs to die, but I think dying is an easy way out.

**Jeez**: I'm willing to be more flexiable with everyone else, but I can't imagine Kaoru with anyone else, unless Enishi becomes sane. Just how love works.

**Sapphireracoongal**: Hopefully the wait was worth it. This chappie was really waffy, but next one won't.

**Sapphire**: She's not gonna be destroyed by Kaoru, or else Kaoru would be viewed as not so innocent. But I'll find some other way.

**forever silverwing angel**: Sorry, this chappie didn't let you find out what Tomoe will do to reveal Kaoru. Thanks for the Tomoe tip. I think she deserves to suffer but maybe afterwards change or something like finding Akira could also be her knight in shinning armor.

**DragonSpirit**: battousai isn't done yet, but they'll change a lil more before they stick with Kenshin. I added in some self damning kenshin's thoughts for you, thanks for the advice. Are you sure Aoshi would work with Misao? that was my original plan, but now, Misao didn't grow up with Aoshi so it'll be harder for that eternal love.


	24. Hatred IV

**Chapter 23  
Hatred IV**

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"Young lady," says Aoshi, switching off the television. "Where do you think you're going?" he asks, walking towards me.

"Ummm…work?" I say.

"Eat," he says, pointing towards the kitchen.

"Aoshi!" I whined, stamping my foot. "I'm going to be late!"

"So?" he asks, propelling me towards the kitchen. "You still have to eat your breakfast. I can't have my little sister feeling weak and tired when she works."

"But, Aoshi, I'm feeling pretty hyper today!"

"No excuses," he says, tapping me lightly on the head.

As I sat down at the table to eat some French toast, I noticed Soujiro and Akira's empty seats, and gave an audible sigh.

"What's wrong?" asks Aoshi.

"I miss Sou-chan and Akira!" I say, pouting.

"I miss them too, Kao-chan," he says glumly, propping up one elbow on the table to support his chin. "Maybe I shouldn't have sent them all the way to the States to sign the deal. I should've picked someone else."

"Don't worry too much. I'm sure they're having loads of fun there," I say, reaching over to pinch his cheeks, but he pinched me first.

"When are they going to be back, anyway?"

"This coming Friday," he says, brightening up a little. "That's only about four days from now, isn't it?"

"Yup!" I say happily, taking a sip of orange juice. "They'll be back in no time!"

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"Come in," says Kenshin, after a few knocks.

"Good morning, Kenshin," says Tomoe, smiling brightly at him.

"Oh, Tomoe," he says, motioning for her to sit down. "Good morning."

"You look well, Kenshin."

"You don't look too bad either, Tomoe. You seem very...together."

"Yeah, well, I'm coping, I guess," she says, looking up at him. "Is that a couple ring?" she asks, catching sight of the silver band on his finger.

"Oh, yeah, it is," he says, laughing a little and twirling the ring on his finger.

"Things must be going well between the both of you, huh? You never bought me a couple ring when we were together," she says bitterly. "But it's all right. That's all in the past now," she says, giving him a small smile.

"Did you want to see me about something, Tomoe?" he asks, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Oh, right. That reminds me. There are some documents that you need to sign," she says, putting several files on his table. "You can take your time to go through them. Just hand it back to me before lunch, okay?"

"Sure. Thanks, Tomoe," he says, after a slight pause.

"No problem, Kenshin. Friends?" she asks, extending her hand.

"…Friends," he hesitantly replied, taking her hand in his and shaking it.

As Tomoe let herself out of his room, she smiled to herself. Just you wait, Himura Kenshin. Just you wait. After reading that file, I don't think you and Kaoru will even be on talking terms anymore. Friends? Hah! You're going to be mine again. You should know, Kenshin...I always get what I want.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kenshin put his pen down on the table, took off his spectacles and pinched the bridge of his nose a few times. He poured himself a glass of water, and then sat back down at his table. Feeling that he needed a small break from reading documents, he picked up his phone and dialed Kaoru's number.

"Hello, good morning. I'm Kamiya Kaoru of Himura Corporations. How may I help you?" came her voice over the receiver.

"Good morning," says Kenshin, trying to change his voice a little so that she wouldn't recognize that it was him. "Well, yes, could I place an order for six toilet bowls to be fixed in my new home?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but could you please repeat that?"

"I would like to place an order for six toilet bowls to be fixed in my new home. Would that be possible?"

"I think you must be mistaken, sir. We don't provide services for…installing toilet bowls."

"Well, then," says Kenshin, trying his hardest not to laugh. "What about basins? I'm sure you do basins?"

"I'm sorry, but we don't do basins either."

"You don't? Well, what do you offer then?

"Ummm…we have a range of sportswear, dr—"

"Sportswear! You must do undergarments too then!" says Kenshin. "My wife…needs…new…" he says, laughing out loud.

"KENSHIN!" she yelled.

"Hello, Kaoru-san. How're you doing?" he says, still laughing.

"Fine," she mumbled. "I can't believe you played such a rotten trick on me!"

"I'm sorry. I was feeling bored!" says Kenshin, twirling his pen with his fingers. "Tell you what, how about I make it up to you by treating you to lunch?"

"Mou! Who wants to have lunch with you?" she teased.

"You do," he says. "I'll wait for you outside the building at 12.30, okay?"

"Okay!"

After they had both hung up, he leaned back in his chair and smiled to himself. Just then, he caught sight of the stack of files that Tomoe needed signed before lunch. Heaving a sigh, he put his spectacles back on, grabbed the first file off the stack, opened it and began to read.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kenshin lifted the sleeve of his shirt to take a look at his watch and he groaned when he saw that he still had half an hour to lunch. Why does time seem to be moving so slowly today, he wondered. He reached for the last file, which Tomoe had sent him earlier and opened it.

His forehead wrinkled a little when he saw a little clipped picture of Kaoru at the top right corner of the paper. His eyes scanned down the entire page, surprised that Tomoe had mistakenly sent him the file of Kaoru's profile, which all employees had. Just as he was about to close it, he noticed another sheet of paper sticking out from underneath the first paper. Curious, he pulled it out and read what was written on it, his eyes becoming wider and wider with disbelief with each passing second.

_Kamiya (Shinomori) Kaoru  
- born on the 16th of April, 1986 at the Kyoto Hospital  
- daughter of the successful Shinomori Hinaku and Kamiya Koshijiro who died in a car accident  
- younger sister of Shinomori (Kamiya) Aoshi who has headed Kamiya Corporations at 18 years old  
- studied at Tokyo High  
- graduated from Tokyo University with first class honours in Business and Marketing  
- lives on Edo Street with her brother, her cousin, Kiyosato Akira and her best friend, Seta Soujiro  
- shares an estimated wealth of 65 million with her brother_

Several newspaper clippings and magazine articles were attached behind the paper. With shaking hands, he sifted through them one by one, only reading the headlines of every article.

_Shinomori Hinaku and Kamiya Koshijiro's Fatal Accident  
Many Condolences and Best Wishes to Kamiya Aoshi and Kamiya Kaoru  
Kamiya Aoshi to Head Kamiya Corporations at 18, name changed to Shinomori Aoshi  
Aoshi and Kaoru Does Their Parents Proud  
Kamiya Corporations to Donate 100,000 to Charity  
Kamiya Corporations Rated the 3rd Most Successful Company  
50 in Richest Bachelors Japan_

His eyes roamed down to number eight, which was circled in black marker.

_Number 8  
Name : Shinomori (Kamiya) Aoshi  
Age : 27  
Estimated wealth : 65 million  
Position : President of Kamiya Corporations  
Siblings : One younger sister, Kamiya Kaoru  
Status : Lives in Edo Street; currently single_

Unable to continue reading any longer, he slammed the file down on the table and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes and massaging his temples. Just then, he heard a loud knock on his door. Before he could say anything, the door was flung open and Tomoe rushed in.

"Hey, Kenshin," she says, flustered. "I left a very important file in here which you don't…need…to…sign…" she trailed off, catching sight of the open file on the table.

"Oh…"

"This?" he asks, lifting it up with one hand.

"Ummm…" she says, fidgeting a little.

There was an awkward silence before Kenshin spoke.

"Call Kamiya up," he says, his voice cold and hard.

When Tomoe did not move a muscle, he repeated it again, this time even more colder than before, if that was even possible. "Call Kamiya up, now."

"Yes, Kenshin," she says, bowing slightly before exiting the room, smiling sinisterly to herself.

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"Kenshin?" I say, poking my head in, catching sight of his back as he stood, staring out the large window, down at the busy streets of Seoul below. "Tomoe said you wanted to see me about something."

It was only after a while that he turned around to face me and gave me a penetrating gaze.

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"What?" I ask, raising my eyebrows in confusion.

"Are you hiding something from me?" he repeated, his eyes hard.

"Kenshin, what a—"

"JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!" he yelled.

"N-no…none that I can think of," I stuttered, fear washing over me.

"Oh really?" he asks, glaring at me. "Then what do you have to say about these?" he asks, chucking the file at my feet.

I bent down to retrieve the file and flipped it open immediately. "Kenshin, this is my emplo—"

"Turn the page."

I looked up at him, and then turned the page over. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped open as I read the second sheet of paper. I didn't need to look through all the newspaper clippings and magazine articles to know what it contained. I raised my head and looked pleadingly at Kenshin.

"Kenshin, I'm sorry. It's just that I di—"

"You don't have to apologize to me," he says, and I flinched at the tone of his voice. "I mean, I didn't ask you who you really were after all. I always assumed that you would never hide your identity."

"Kenshin, do—"

"But I guess I was wrong, huh? And even after we got together, you never bothered to tell me. What a fool I must have looked like in front of all those people. Himura Kenshin, dating Kamiya Kaoru, whom he thought was just a normal person, just like everybody else, but who was, actually, the daughter of Kamiya Koshijiro, founder of Kamiya Corporations."

"Just he—"

"When exactly were you planning to tell me this, Kaoru?" he cut me off.

I closed my eyes tightly, wishing that the floor would just open up and swallow me whole. I reopened my eyes again, only to find Kenshin staring straight at me, his eyes piercing me.

"Trust obviously never entered our relationship even once."

"No, Kenshin," I say, tears beginning to well up in my eyes. "I didn't mean to keep it a secret from you. All I wanted to do was to prove to everyone that I could be successful on my own, without people knowing my true identity...that things didn't come handed to me on a silver platter. I really didn't mean for things to get this far."

The betrayal and hurt that Kenshin felt deafened him to my pleas. It killed him to know that I didn't trust him enough to tell him who she really was in the beginning. Not able to face me any longer, he turned his back on me.

"Maybe it's best we both take a little break," he says quietly, breaking the silence.

It took me a while to answer him.

"Yeah, I think that would be best," I argreed shaking, before turning on her heel and letting herself out the door.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Next Chappie**: a little mellow, but preparation for the big bang classical drama. The biggest drama is about to be here. Even I'm a little excited.

**A/N**: I'm sorry I left for a while… the whole college thing is just frustrating. I'll really try to keep up from on.


	25. Last Peace

A/N: I feel kinda bad for abandoning you guys, but this is the semester where i do all my college apps, and stuff, so i've been busy, but apologizing for the late update.

* * *

**Chapter 25:  
Last Peace**

I walked around the busy streets of Kyoto, feeling hungry and dejected. After that little scene with Kenshin, I had grabbed my bag and walked out of the office, not bothering to talk to anyone. I didn't plan on returning to the office after lunch hours either. Tomoe can fire me if she wanted to. I just didn't care.

I came to rest on an empty park bench. As I sat there, a happy couple walking hand in hand passed me by, talking and laughing gaily. We were once like that too, I thought sadly, twirling the silver ring on my finger. I leaned back on the bench and raised my head upwards, towards the clear blue sky and closed my eyes.

Feeling as though I really needed someone to talk to, I hurriedly looked through my bag for my cell phone. As I punched in Soujiro's number, I remembered that he was in the States.

Sighing, I flipped my phone shut again. I pinched the bridge of my nose a few times. Calling Aoshi was out of the question. He doesn't need the additional stress. Akira and Soujiro were in the States. Yahiko? Nah…he's Kenshin's friend. He's probably busy anyway. Misao? Nope…she'll probably get everyone in the office worried. Then it came to me. I hurried punched in his number and crossed my fingers for luck, hoping that he wasn't busy or anything.

" Hello? " came his voice.

"Sano? Kaoru here," I say.

" Kaoru, hey! "

"Hi! What are you doing?"

" Oh, I'm out with Kamatari wanna join us? "

"Oh, no…it's all right then."

" Kaoru, did something happen? Are you all right? " he asks, concern evident in his voice.

"No, nothing happened. I'm fine. Don't worry."

" Are you sure? "

"Yes, Sano. Anyway, sorry for bothering you. Tell Kamatari I said hi, will you? Thanks and bye!"

Without waiting for an answer, I hung up on him. The longer I sat there, the more dejected I felt. There was only one other place for me to go to drown my sorrows. Getting up, I hurriedly flagged down a cab and gave directions to the cab driver. I leaned back in my seat and looked out the window at the passing cars, a tear rolling down my cheek.

* * *

"Who was that?" asks Kamatari, taking a sip of his coffee. 

"Huh? Oh, it was Kaoru," answers Sano distractedly.

"Why? Did something happen?"

"I don't know. She wouldn't tell me, but I could tell that she had been crying."

"What are you waiting for?" asks Kamatari getting up from his seat and slapping a ten-dollar bill on the table. "Let's go!" he says, putting on his jacket.

"Where to?" asks Sano.

"To look for her!" he says, running out the door.

"But I don't know where she is!" yelled Sano, running after him.

"Think, Sano. Where do you think she would go to whenever she's feeling down?" asks Kamatari.

"Well, she usually looks for Soujiro, but Soujiro's in the States now. Ummm…she would never disturb her brother because she doesn't like to trouble him…" trailed off Sano, thinking hard. "Where else? Where else?" he muttered under his breath, chewing his bottom lip.

"Park?" asks Kamatari while he shook his head. "Café?"

"No."

"Bookstore?"

"BOOKSTORE?" he asks incredulously.

"What?" says Kamatari defensively. "Different people have different styles."

As he shot his close friend an amused look, it suddenly came to him. "I know where she is!" he says, running towards his parked car. "Hurry up and get in!" he yelled.

* * *

"Okay," says Kamatari. "I know I mentioned that different people have different styles, but…why a CEMETERY of all places?" 

"Shhhh!" says Sano, motioning for him to keep his voice down. "She comes to visit and talk to her parents very frequently. It's her way of keeping her parents alive in her heart and a part of her life while she grows up."

"Oh..." says Kamatari, suddenly feeling sorry for all the sorrow and pain that Kaoru had to go through all this time.

"There she is," whispered Sano, pointing into the far distance where a lone figure sat with her back facing us. We stood a few feet behind her, so as not to disturb her but near enough for us to listen in on what she was talking about.

"…I just didn't expect things to turn out this way. All I wanted to do was to prove myself…to prove that I could do it on my own…that I was good enough. I didn't mean to hurt anyone at all. I really didn't. I knew I should have told him from the start, but I just didn't know how to begin. Every time I tried to, my mind drew up a blank. I wasn't expecting him to find out about it like this…he must have thought I was deliberately doing it to make fun of him…but you know I wouldn't do that, right, mom, dad?"

When she paused to inhale a deep, shaky breath and to wipe away her tears, Sano felt that he needed to do something to comfort her, so he crept up behind her and put his jacket around her shoulders. Surprised, she turned around to look up at him.

"Sano! And Kamatari!" she exclaimed, trying to hide her tears. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Here to see you," says Kamatarigiving her a warm smile and sitting down next to her. "By the way, from what I heard so far, I personally think Kenshin is a baka."

"How long were you guys standing behind me, anyway?" she asks, slanting her eyebrows at them.

"Ummm…long enough to hear someone has made you upset," says Sano squatting down in front of me. "Tell you what, why don't we all sit down together somewhere and have something to eat? You can tell us what's bothering you or we can just talk about other things, okay?"

"You guys came all the way out here just to ask me to eat with you guys?" she asks incredulously.

"If you want to put it that way," says Kamatari. "But we really came out here to see what we can do to cheer you up."

"Really?" she asks, her eyes tearing up again.

"Really," says Sano, giving her a warm hug.

"Come on, Kaoru," pleads Sano. "Smile already!"

I lifted the ends of my mouth in a bid to smile but I guess I must have failed terribly when he deliberately banged his head on the table a few times, earning a few curious stares from the people sitting at tables nearby.

"Arugh…what am I going to do with you?" he whined.

"I'm sorry, Sano," I say apologetically, reaching over to ruffle his hair.

"I don't get it," begins Kamatari, propping an elbow up on the table to support his chin and prodding me gently with his free hand. "Why are you moping over that sorry excuse for a guy when you've got two eligible bachelors right in front of you?"

At his words, the corners of my mouth twitched a little and I could feel myself breaking into a small smile.

"Oooooooh…finally smiling, eh?" teased Sano, pinching my cheeks. "Uh-oh," he says, as he caught sight of Kamatari's expression. "He's up to something."

I turned to look at Kamatari and he grinned broadly back at me. Then, picking up his fork and spoon, he began to hit them on the table, creating a beat, and catching everyone's attention. Sano listened intently for a moment, then picked up his own fork and spoon and joined him.

"What are you guys doing?" I hissed, slumping down lower in my seat, my face flushing red with embarrassment.

"So no one told you life was going to be this way… your job's a joke, you're broke, you're love life's D.O.A…it's like you're always stuck in second gear…well, it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year," sang Kamatari, winking at me.

"But, I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour…I'll be there for you, like I've been there before...I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too," chimed in Sano, singing along with Kamatari.

"Sano," says Tae Kamatari. "Your turn!"

"You're still in bed at ten, the work began at eight…you've burned your breakfast, so far, things are going great…your mother warned you there'd be days like these…but she didn't tell you when the world has brought you down to your knees," sang Sano.

"That, I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour…I'll be there for you, like I've been there before…I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too," they sang together.

"No one could ever know me, no one could ever see me…seems like you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me," says Kamatari.

"Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with…someone I'll always laugh with, even at my worst, I'm best with you," says Sano.

"It's like you're always stuck in second gear…well, it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year…but, I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour…I'll be there for you, like I've been there before...I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too…" they sang together, ending the song to the many cheers coming from their audience. They stood up, gave a small bow and sat back down again, grinning at me.

"What did you guys think you were doing?" I ask, glaring at them.

"Singing?" asks Kamatari, raising an eyebrow at me.

"You know what I mean," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Cheering you up!" says Sano, smiling at me.

"By singing in public?" I ask incredulously.

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" asks Kamatari, taking a sip of his drink.

I bit my bottom lip and looked at the both of them gratefully. "Thanks, guys. That performance was unbelievable," I say, giving each of them a radiant smile…my first real smile for that day.

"Anytime, Kaoru" says Sano, returning my smile. "Anytime."

* * *

Kenshin poured himself a quarter glass of whisky and went to sit down on the couch. He had long abandoned all his paper work after the incident with Kaoru. He just couldn't concentrate. He felt bad for blowing up at her like that. He knew he had the world's worst temper and it was his rotten temper that had prevented him from listening to any of her reasons, no matter how rational they sounded. Just as he was about to call her to ask for her forgiveness...beg, if he had to, a faint knock was heard at the door. 

"Come in," he says, rubbing his forehead and standing up.

"Hey, Kenshin," says Tomoe, slipping into his office and closing the door behind her quietly. "How are you doing?"

"Not to well," he says, trying to smile.

"Give it some time. I'm sure things will work out between the both of you," she says, feigning concern.

"Thanks, Tomoe. Anyway…has Kaoru returned yet?" he asks, after a slight pause.

"Oh…umm…" she began, looking down at her hands, which lay folded in her lap.

"She hasn't, huh?" asks Kenshin, running his fingers through his already messy hair.

"Come on, Kenshin. You can't expect her to be able to face you so quickly after what happened, do you?" she asks, getting up and moving to stand in front of him. "Here, let me just…" she trailed off, reaching up to try to fix his hair, but before she could even touch him, he took a step backwards.

"It's all right, Tomoe. Just leave it like that," says Kenshin, giving her a small smile.

"Oh…right…" she says, trying to keep her rising temper in check. "Anyway, I'd better get back to work."

"Sure," he says. "Oh, and Tomoe…"

"Yeah?" she asks, turning around hopefully.

"Can you please send word up to me when Kaoru comes back? I would really appreciate it."

"Of course," she says tightly. "No problem."

Tomoe stormed into her office, fuming.

"Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru. She's all he ever thinks about!" she shrieked throwing a file across the room.  
As she sat down huffily in her chair, her anger not diminished even by a little bit, she caught sight of the telephone directory lying on her table. The longer she looked at it, the more she felt like doing it. Kenshin's words played over and over again in her head.

" Can you please send word up to me when Kaoru comes back? I would really appreciate it. "

Feeling anger and hatred towards Kaoru surging through her entire being, she reached over and grabbed the telephone directory, flipping through the pages roughly, only coming to a stop on a page labeled J. She ran her finger down the page quickly, her keen eyes searching for the right number. Finally finding it, she picked up the phone and punched in the numbers, not hesitating even for a moment.

"Hello? Japan Times? I've got a story for you."

* * *

A/N: suppose one scheme at a time isn't enough, she's not dumb, Tomoe strikes with a double hit, the max and the turning point of the Women's battle. Next chapter, MAJOR drama, and a lot of Kaoru suffering. 

Next Chappie: The beginning of KK Breakup.


	26. Chaos Begins

**A/N**: Sorry for the late update. i had this ready and all but i couldn't get internet connection going and something wrong with the uploader. either way, sorry and i promise to get the next chappie before november.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 25:  
The Beginning of the End**

* * *

I woke up to the sunrays hitting my face, and rolled over onto my back. I glanced at the little clock sitting on my bedside table and wondered why Aoshi still hasn't jumped on me to get up yet. For the next few minutes, I lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, my mind going over yesterday's events...wondering if 

Kenshin would have calmed down by now and if he was willing to listen to my reasons. Sighing and with much effort, I pulled myself out of bed, and began my morning routine.

"Aoshi!" I say in a singsong voice as I skipped down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Morning, Kao-chan," he says, giving me a very strained smile which I failed to take notice of.

"Oooooooh…pancakes!" I yelped in delight, taking a seat opposite Aoshi.

"Here, you have to eat more," he says, piling pancakes onto my plate. "Don't think I don't know that you've been skipping meals."

"I have a valid reason for that!" I whined.

"And what's that?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Ummm…I was busy with work," I say, pouring maple syrup over the pancakes

"Right. Anyway, hurry up and eat or you'll be late."

"Okay! Just let me go get a carton of orange juice," I say, getting up and heading over to the refrigerator. As I turned around to head back to my seat, I noticed Akira sitting on the newspaper. "Akira!" I say, laughing out loud. "Why are you sitting on the newspaper?"

"What newspaper?" he asks, looking blankly at me.

"This one!" I say, trying to pull it out from under him.

"Oh…well…just leave it there. No wonder the chair feels so comfortable today," he says quickly, avoiding my gaze.

"But, Akira, I want to read the news!"

"No, you don't. Now hurry up and eat."

"Yes, I do!" I say trying to yank it out. "What are you trying to hide from me?" I ask suddenly, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Nothing!" he says quickly, almost too quickly.

"Don't lie," I say, pulling harder at the paper. As soon as it came free, Aoshi grabbed it away from me. "Let me see…no…let me see!" I say, struggling to snatch the paper away from him. Finally getting hold of it, I unfolded the newspaper and I could feel my heart sink as I read the front-page heading.

"THE HIMURA's BEST KEPT SECRET, REVEALED"

_Tokyo Japan: _

_Hiko Seijiro, founder of the successful Himura Corporations, is said to have an illegitimate daughter, the result of an affair with another woman, two years after the demise of his beloved wife. He first met the girl's mother at a formal dinner hosted by one of his business affiliates, and they bumped into each other on several other occasions, before embarking on a whirlwind romance. However, after giving birth, the girl's mother had eloped with another man, leaving Seijiro to raise the little girl all by himself. For the past nine years, both father and son had managed to keep this matter under wraps by raising the little girl in a little cottage on Hara Street. A source close to the Himura family says that Himura Kenshin, has accepted the little girl as part of the family. It is believed that he often visits her during his free time and has brought some of his friends over to meet her. Kogoro Katsura, President of Kogoro Corporations, who is said to be one of his closest friends could not be reached for any comments. The identity of the girl cannot be revealed as she is under age.  
_

I felt numb with shock and disbelief after I had finished reading the whole article. I could feel all the blood drain from my face as realization finally dawned on me.

"Kao?" asks Aoshi softly. "Are you okay?"

"He's going to think I did it," I say shakily.

"Did what?" asks Aoshi, frowning a little.

"I've got to go look for Kenshin," I say, turning on my heel and running out the door.

* * *

"HIMURA KENSHIN!" boomed his father, slamming his door open. 

"Hiko-sama?" asks Kenshin, sitting up in his bed and rubbing his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"WHAT'S WRONG? YOU DARE TO ASK ME WHAT'S WRONG?" yelled his father.

"Look," says Kenshin. "I've had a really rough day yesterday and I'm really not in the mood to play games with you, so cut me some slack, okay?"

"Don't talk to me in that tone, KENSHIN," threatened his father. "Why don't you take a look at what I found in today's paper?" he asks, throwing the newspaper onto Kenshin's bed.

Taking one look at his father's grim expression, Kenshin unfolded the newspaper and his eyes widened in disbelief at what he saw. He scanned through the article quickly, all thoughts of sleep vanishing instantly from his mind.

"How did they find out?" he asks through clenched teeth.

"That was exactly what I wanted to ask you."

"But, Hiko, none of the guys would do it. You know they wouldn't," says Kenshin, frowning.

"Are you sure you didn't tell anyone else about it?" asks his father, looking sharply at him.

"I'm sure the—" he began, but stopped suddenly in mid-sentence. "Kamiya Kaoru," he whispered, so softly that his father couldn't catch what he had just said.

"So," says his father. "It is one of your friends after all."

"I'm not sure whether she did it or not, okay? Don't go around accusing others," snapped Kenshin irritably.

"Well, you're the one who got us into this mess, so you're going to get us out of it," says Kenshin's father cuttingly.

"Look who's talking. If you didn't go around having affairs with other women, we wouldn't even be in this mess in the first place."

* * *

"Hara Street, please," I say to cab driver, drumming my fingers nervously on my lap. 

"Hara Street?" asks the driver. "Everyone seems to want to go there today. I just fetched a few reporters there earlier in the morning."

"Re-reporters?"

"Yeah. Didn't you read the papers today? The scandal involving Hiko Seijiro? All the reporters are trying to get a picture of the little girl."

"But the article didn't mention the house number or anything!" I say, exasperated.

"Someone tipped them off about it. I overheard the three of them talking," says the driver, looking into his rearview mirror at me. "All I can say is, the person who leaked the story out to the presses is one cruel person."

"Why do you say so?"

"A scandal like this would not only kill the reputation of Hiko Seijiro but would also affect the share prices of Himura Corporations. Apart from that, the little girl wouldn't be able to grow up properly. She would be hounded by reporters everywhere she go," he says, shaking his head slightly.

"Oh…" I trailed off.

"Sounds horrible, doesn't it? Whoever leaked the story out to the presses deserves to be whipped for making the girl's future so bleak. Anyway, miss, we're here."

"We are?" I ask, leaning forward in my seat to look out the window.

"Yup. See all the reporters crowding around that house? I bet they're waiting for her to come out. Stupid people. Trying to ruin other people's lives just for the sake of money and publicity. Oh, and that would be six dollars, miss."

I handed him a ten-dollar bill. "Keep the change," I say, getting out of the car. I ran towards the group of reporters and tried to push my way through them to get to the cottage.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" says a guy rudely, turning around to glare at me. "Hey! Aren't you Kamiya Kaoru, sister of Shinomori Aoshi?"

Suddenly, all the reporters turned to look at me, their cameras poised. Before I knew what was happening, flash bulbs began clicking in my face. Microphones were being shoved in front of me and questions were being asked, one after another.

"What are you doing here?"

"What is your relation with Himura Kenshin?"

"There are rumors going around that you're seeing each other. Is that true?"

"Do you know who is half-sister is?"

"What's her name?"

"Is it true that sh—"

I was too busy covering my eyes from those bright flashes that I didn't see anyone coming up from behind me until he yanked me away from those crazy reporters. I looked up gratefully at Kamatari and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kamatari-san! How did you meet Kamiya-san?"

"Can we please see the little girl?"

"Is there anything special between you and Kamiya-san?"

"No comments," he says coldly, pulling me towards the cottage and slamming the door shut behind him.

"Stupid ostriches," he mumbled under his breath.

"Kaoru nii-san," says Sakura, running up to me, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Shhh," I say, trying to soothe her as I lifted her up into my arms. "Don't cry, Sakura." I walked towards the couch, where Shishio, Iizuka, Katsura and Kamatari all sat, with grim expressions. "Where's Kenshin?" I ask quietly.

"He's on the way," says Iizuka.

"Oh…do you know who did it?"

"None us here would have been so cruel to do it…unless…" trailed off Iizuka, looking at me sharply.

"No!" says Kamatari and Katsura almost at once. "Kaoru isn't the kind of person to do something like this," continues Hyesung.

"Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to bring herself to actually put it into action. She cares too much about other people's feelings," says Kamatari.

"Right…I'm sorry, Kaoru-san," says Iizuka, smiling apologetically at me.

"No harm done, Iizuka," I say, returning the smile. "You were just looking out for Kenshin."

We all lapsed into another bout of silence, while Sakura rested her head on my shoulders. The only sounds that could be heard were our faint breathing and Sakura's quiet sniffling. Just then, Shishio spoke, causing all of us to jump at least a foot in the air.

"He's here."

* * *

As Kenshin stepped out of his car, the six bodyguards that he had brought along made sure the reporters were kept at bay, while me made his way towards the cottage. 

"Himura-san, what do you have to say about the news?"

"How is your father taking it?"

"Are your share prices still holding up?"

"What do you have to say about the whole thing?"

"DAMN IT!" he yelled, slamming the door behind him.

"Katsura," chorused Iizuka, Shishio, and Kamatari all of them getting up from their sitting positions.

"Hey, Himura," says Katsura quietly.

"You wouldn't believe what those reporters are doing outside," he rambled to Katsura. "They've practically set up camp outside this place. How did they managed to find it anyway?"

"Why don't you calm down a little first?" says Katsura, patting him on the back.

I stood up slowly, still carrying Sakura, who had fallen asleep. "Kenshin," I say softly.

He turned to look at me, his face set, but I could see his eyes change from surprise, to relief, to hope, then, to blazing anger. "YOU!" he yelled, coming to stand in front of me. He grabbed Sakura roughly away from me, causing her to jerk awake. Once she saw Kenshin, she wrapped her arms around him tightly and sobbed.

"Otou-san!"

"It's all right, Sakura. Here, go upstairs and rest first, okay? I'll come up later to see you," he says, his eyes never leaving my face. Sakura nodded her head, causing her pigtails to bounce up and down on her shoulders. Then, when Kenshin had set her down on the floor, she scurried up the stairs, her black shoes clicking against the floor. When he was sure that she had entered her room by the bang of the door, he wasted no time in slamming me.

"What do you think you're doing here?" he asks, his voice cold and hard.

"I came to see how Sak—"

"She doesn't need you."

"But I was just tryi—"

"Don't you think you have done enough damage already?"

"Himura," began Kamatari.

"Kamatari, it's between the two of us." Slowly, Kamatari closed his mouth and shuffled out of the room, following the rest of the guys.

"So, KAMIYA Kaoru," he drawled, emphasizing on the word Kamiya.

I flinched but nevertheless, I kept my chin up. "Look, Kenshin, whether you believe me or not, I didn't do it."

"Really? Then tell me, who could be the culprit?"

"I—I have no idea."

"You do know, that apart from the guys, you are the only other person who knows about Sakura?"

"Yes," I say quietly.

"And I am willing to bet my life on it, that none of the guys did it. So, where does that leave you?"

"Like I said earlier," I began my voice wavering just a little. "I didn't do it."

"How do you expect me to believe you, Kaoru? After all, you did hide your true identity from me. And like a fool, I trusted you with my biggest secret," he said angrily, his eyes flashing.

"You know what? This is getting nowhere. I am so sick and tired of this whole thing. I'll just say this for the last time and I hope it gets into that thick skull of yours," I say. "I didn't do it. Why would I want to do something so mean and cruel in the first place? Sakura never did anything to hurt me. As for you, I can't really say much."

Turning on my heel. Just as I was about to walk out the door, I turned to face his back. "Just one word of advice Kenshin. When you finally realize that I didn't do it, let's just hope it isn't too late already."

* * *

A/N: uh oh, what does that mean? Is Kaoru suggesting they should break up? Oh no, worst than that… but you'll have to find out as I find some way to make it worse than just breaking up. 

Next Chappie: Sano comes and saves the day... how? hm... i'll add something in.


	27. Confessions

**A/N** : This is my payment for my long over dued postings from the past few weeks. i apologize and see i did get this up soon.

* * *

**Chapter 26  
Confessions**

* * *

"Here, Himura," says Katsura quietly, handing him a cup of chamomile tea. "Drink some of this." 

"Thanks," he says gratefully, accepting the steaming mug.

"I hope you didn't mind me eavesdropping on your conversation earlier, but personally, I think you should have put more trust in Kaoru."

"What?" asks Kenshin incredulously. "Are you out of your mind, Katsura? Why are you siding with her all of a sudden?" he asks, turning to look at his friend.

"I'm not siding with her, Katsura."

"If she didn't do it, who could have done it?"

"I don't know. But what I do know is, she didn't do it. Kamatari says she's not capable of doing something like that, and he should know better. He's known her for years now."

"Katsura, Kamatari cuts her hair. He doesn't live with her!"

"Yeah, but he knows how she carries herself around people. That should be enough, isn't it, Himura?"

"Maybe she's putting on an act!" he argued.

"Look, Himura," says Katsura calmly. "Just take your time and think about it. Don't jump to conclusions so easily. And, you'd better call her up and apologize to her soon…before you lose her." Giving his friend a small smile, he turned and exited from the room.

Kenshin stared into his mug, thinking hard. Then, in fury, he lifted the steaming mug and hurled it towards the wall, where it smashed into pieces, hot tea spraying everywhere. But he didn't care. He just stood there, staring at the glass shards littered all over the floor. Back in the kitchen, the four guys who heard the sound of glass breaking looked at each other and shook their heads in dismay.

The old Kenshin was back.

* * *

"Sano! Akira!" exclaims Aoshi in surprise, after he had swung open the big door to their insistent knocking. 

"What brings you guys here?"

"Have you read the news yet?" asks Sano.

"Yeah."

"Has Kaoru?" asks Akira.

"Yeah."

"Where is she now?" asks Sano.

"I have no idea. After she read it, she just bolted, without eating her breakfast. Would you all mind telling me what's happening?"

"No time to stay and chat, Aoshi! I'll call you later!" yelled Sano, running back towards his car, with Akira right behind him.

"Okay, where to now?" asks Sano, expertly reversing his car out of the Kamiya's driveway.

"Umm…cemetery?" asks Akira, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Possible…or she might still be at Kenshin's half-sister's place. Let's head over to Hara Street first. And could you please try to get through to her cell phone again, Akira?"

"Sure. No problem."

After a few minutes, they pulled up on Hara Street.

"Ten dollars to guess which house it is," mutters Sano under his breath. The moment they got out of the car, the reporters came flocking towards them. Before they could open their mouths to say anything, Akira raised his hand for silence.

"No comments. And if you guys don't make way for us, I'll send you flying across to the other street."

All the reporters backed away slowly, each of them knowing that Akira had attended self-defense classes a few years back and had performed exceptionally well in it.

"Himura, open up!" yelled Sano, banging on the door.

The door swung open allowing both Sano and Akira to enter. Once inside, Kenshin accosted Sano up against the wall.

"What do you think you're doing here?" he snarled. Akira, who was nearby, tried to pull the both of them apart.

"I'm not here to see you. Where's Kaoru?" asks Sano, straightening his clothes.

"She left."

"What do you mean she left?" he asks, his eyes piercing Kenshin.

"She's not here anymore," says Kenshin, shrugging his shoulders. Sano, angered by Kenshin's attitude, grabbed him by the collar.

"I trusted you would treat her well, Himura Kenshin. I really did. Now, I'm not so sure anymore. If I find out that you've hurt her in any way…you'd better keep a 10 meter radius away from her, or else." With that, he let go of Kenshin's collar and shoved him backwards roughly, before exiting from the house.

"You know, Kenshin, although I don't know you that well, I think you're an ass for making Kaoru cry and go through so much pain. You're ruining the life of one of the sweetest girls who ever lived. I hope you're proud of yourself," says Akira, shaking his head at him, before walking out the door.

* * *

"Kamiya Kaoru!" panted Sano, running up to me, with Akira in tow. "Did you know, we searched EVERYWHERE for you?" 

"Hey, guys," I say, trying to muster a smile, for their sake. "Did something happen?"

"You all right?" asks Akira.

I heaved a long sigh and sat down on the grass, in the middle of the park miserably. There was no point trying to lie to them. It seems like they already knew anyway. "No."

"Want to talk about it?" asks Sano, plopping down beside me.

"Mou? You sure you actually want to listen to my ramblings?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Why not? It's not like we have anything planned for today. Besides, if it'll make you feel any better, I'd be glad to listen to anything you have to say," says Akira, sitting down next to me and giving me a radiant smile.

* * *

"Morning, Sano, morning Akira," says Aoshi, stepping into the kitchen. "Did you guys sleep well?" 

"Morning, Aoshi," they chorused together. "And yes, we slept well," says Sano, grinning up at him.

"Glad to hear that. Where's Kaoru?"

"Still sleeping, I guess," says Akira, running his fingers through his hair.

"Mou, that little girl! You guys go ahead and start eating first. I'll go wake her up," says Aoshi, walking out of the kitchen.

"You know, Aoshi," begins Sano. "There's something wrong with the whole picture, don't you think?"

"What, about the whole Kaoru thing?"

"Yeah. Think about it. First, her identity is revealed, and the next day, Kenshin's secret is all over the papers."

"What are you getting at?" asks Akira, his forehead creasing a little.

There was a slight pause before he spoke. "I think she was set up. And I'm pretty sure I know who did it," he says grimly.

"Set up? Why would anyone want to se—"

"Morning, Kaoru!" piped up Sano suddenly, shooting Akira a warning look. "Finally up?"

"Yeah," I groaned. "No thanks to Aoshi."

"Right…blame it on the poor guy," says Aoshi, taking a seat next to her. "You're the one who still wants to go to work after all that has happened!"

"Well, it'll be pretty irresponsible of me to just drop work like that, wouldn't it?" I ask, rubbing my eyes.

"You don't have to continue working there, you know. You could always come back to Kamiya Corporations…or…you can go work at Sagara Corporations!" says Aoshi. "I'm sure Sano wouldn't mind!"

"Of course I wouldn't," says Sano, smiling.

"Or you can come work at my place!" offered Akira.

"Awwww…you guys are so sweet," I say, smiling up at them.

"Anyway, hurry up and eat, or you'll be late," says Aoshi, buttering a piece of toast for me.

"Hey," says Sano suddenly. "Why don't I drop Kaoru off at work?"

"Are you sure?" asks Aoshi. "Wouldn't it be a little troublesome for you?"

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'd be glad to do it."

"Thanks, Sano. I really appreciate it," says Aoshi gratefully.

"No problem. Anyway, Kaoru, do you think I could borrow your tape recorder?"

"Sure thing. Why do you need it for?" I ask, looking at him quizzically.

"Just for something that I need to do," replies Sano, smiling warmly at me.

"Okay, Sano," I say, tapping his shoulder. "You can drop me off over here."

"No, I think I'll walk you up too. Just in case something happens," says Sano.

"Mou! Nothing's going to happen! This is the office!" I exclaimed.

"I'm not taking any chances. Nope," says Sano, holding the glass doors open for me.

"Ladies first," he says, bowing.

"Thanks," I say, giggling a little.

"So…" says Sano, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Do you think Tomoe will be in so early in the morning?"

"Why?" I ask, a smile appearing on my face.

"It's not what you're thinking," he says, bopping me on the head. "I just thought I'd drop in and say hi, since I'm here and all."

"Are you sure that's all you're going to do?" I teased.

"KAORU!" he yelled.

"Okay! Okay!" I say, laughing. "You can always follow me in to check. Her room is just down the hall in the middle. 1590 ok?"

"alright, thanks, and have a good day." Sano said as he turned around the corner.

* * *

"Wait!" Megumi stood up. 

"Huh? O, hey kitsune-san." Sano turned around and waved, "I just needed to speak to Tomoe, is she in?"

"Shut up roster-head, but yes, she's in, just let me check if she's busy."

"roster? Who's a roster? Well, maybe… maybe a cute roster" Sano said innocently with a wink.

Megumi blushed red as she picked up the phone.

'ah, it's so fun to make fun of her' Sano thought.

"Ok roster, she's open, you can go." Megumi said, trying to not to face him with her blushed red face.

"K, thanks kitsune, see you around."

"Come in," says Tomoe when she heard a few knocks on her door.

"Hey, Tomoe," says Sano, stepping into her room and shutting the door behind him quietly.

"Oh Sano?" she exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Here to talk to you about some things," he says, taking a seat directly opposite her.

"Like what?" she asks, her suspicion aroused.

"I know you set Kaoru up," he says calmly, looking straight into her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she says, busying herself by arranging the files on her desk.

"I'm sure you do. No point trying to pretend, Tomoe."

She stopped whatever she was doing and leaned back in her chair, her hands folded across her chest. She assessed him from head to toe, then the corners of her mouth lifted in a thin smile.

"You're a very smart person, Sano," she says.

"Why did you do it?"

"To take back what rightfully belongs to me."

"Kenshin doesn't belong to anyone."

"Yes, he does. He was mine, until Kaoru came into the picture. She ruined everything!" says Tomoe, her voice rising up a notch.

"If that's what you think, you lost him to Kaoru four years ago, Tomoe."

"That's why I did it. I had to ruin her. It serves her right, anyway. She shouldn't have tried to take Kenshin away from me."

"So, you hired a private investigator to find information on her."

"And also on Sakura," she says, smirking.

"How did you find out about Sakura? If I'm not mistaken, only a selected few were informed about it."

"Pure luck," she says, laughing. "Kenshin accidentally dialed my number without him knowing it and I overheard the entire conversation he had with Kaoru."

"Then you decided to use everything you had to break them apart, am I right?"

"Exactly," she says. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

"Why aren't you trying to deny any of this, Tomoe? Aren't you afraid I might tell Kenshin about it?" asks Sano.

"You can try, but I doubt Kenshin will believe either you or Kaoru anymore. Besides, you don't have any proof," she says, grinning at him.

"You play the game well," he says, getting up. Just as he was about to turn the door knob, a distant click was heard.

"What's that sound?" she asks sharply.

"What sound?" he asks, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Don't play stupid with me, Sano." Suddenly, she zeroed in on the little bulge in his pocket. "What's that in your right trouser pocket?" she demanded.

"What, this?" asks Sano, pulling the tape recorder from his pocket. "This, Tomoe, is proof."

With that, he let himself out of the room, leaving Tomoe to scream and throw whatever she could get her hands on, at the closed door.

* * *

**A/N:** YES GOOOOOOOOOOOOO SANO, I LOVE HIM. i will get my revenge on tomoe and kenshin. and i know kenshin's really OOC but he'll fit later. promise. and i've also decided what to do with Tomoe after i punish her severly 

**Next Chappie**: Hmm... What now... i think i'm going to start some Tomoe torturing in the next or the next next chapter, total orginal ideas. '', but first i must make kenshin suffer too.


	28. Happy Days No More

**A/N**: I really wanted to add a twist in this chapter, but my mind and muse just didn't wanna work with me, I apologize for this undramatic, yet important chapter. I promise to update really soon for the next one.

* * *

**Chapter 26:  
****Happy Days No More**

"Damnit! Damnit, damit!!!" Tomoe scream, falling to the floor pounding with all her might.

"Why??? Why me? I don't care if Kaoru comes and takes up part of his time, becomes his favorite employee, I don't even care if Kaoru becomes is best friend, but does she have to come and steal even his heart? This isn't fair!!!"

A knock on the door silenced her cries, "Um, excuse me Yukishiro-sama?"

Tomoe immediately stopped crying, standing up, she pulled out her purse and looked at her puffy reflection. Grabbing some make up that she never needed before and started to dab on her eyes and nose to erase the signs of crying.

"Come in"

"I was wondering if I could have the day off, I just need…"

"Go ahead, tell Megumi to cover for you after lunch."

"Thanks!"

As soon as the door closed, tears started to fill her eyes once more. picking up the mirror, she questioned herself what she lacked that Kaoru had.

"No, I will get my Kenshin back. I've gotten so far, I can't let this go."

* * *

"Hello again, Kaoru," says Sano, coming to stand behind my chair.

"Mou! So, what did you see her about?" I ask, turning around in my chair.

"It was nothing, really," he says. "Anyway, aren't you going to introduce me to your colleagues?"

"Oh, right," I say, jumping up immediately. "Guys, I would like you to meet my friend, Sanosuske," I say, gesturing towards him.

"Hi," says Sano, bowing slightly and giving everyone a warm smile.

"That's Yahiko, Misao, Megumi, and Omasu," I say, pointing to each of them as I called out their names while Sano shook their hands.

"Nice to meet you all," he says bowing again. "Anyway, Kaoru, would you mind showing me to Kenshin's office? I'd like to talk to him about a few things."

"Kenshin's office?" I ask, frowning a little. "What do you want to go see him about?"

"Don't worry, Kao-chan," he says, lowering his voice. "I won't beat him up or anything. I just want to have a guy-to-guy talk with him. Is that all right with you?"

"I guess," I say, twisting my fingers. As I followed Sano out of the Marketing Department, I felt a tug on my shirt sleeve when I walked past Megumi.

"That's a really, really good looking friend you have there," she whispered, her eyes twinkling as her little fox ears poped out.

"Interested?" I ask, giggling.

"Is he…" she trailed off, her face flushing red.

"He's single," I say, nodding my head. "Anyway, I should get going. He'll probably think I fell into the dustbin or something, if he doesn't see me."

"So, what was that all about?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at me as we rode the elevator up.

"Someone has developed a little crush on you!" I say gleefully.

"In a time period of two minutes?' he asks incredulously.

"What's wrong with that?" I ask, "You don't look too bad…maybe just a little flabby on the tummy," I say, walking around him in a circle, assessing him from head to toe.

"YAH! Kaoru!"

"Oh! We're here!" I say, ducking from his outstretched arms. "Hey, Yumi! Is Kenshin in?"

"Morning, Kaoru. No, he hasn't entered the office yet. Is there something important that you would like to hand over to him?" she asks.

"Oh, no," I say, shaking my head, my entire being flooded with relief. "My friend here just wants to talk to him."

"Would you like to leave a message?" she asks, turning to face Sano.

"No, it's all right. Maybe I'll drop by another time. Thanks anyway," he replied, smiling warmly at her.

"Bye, Yumi! Thanks!" I say to her as we headed back to the elevators.

"Oy, Kaoru," says Sano, poking me in the ribs. "Do you have any plans for lunch today?"

"Why?" I ask, looking sideways at him.

"I just thought maybe we could have lunch together!" he says happily, grinning at me.

"Who wants to eat lunch with you?" I ask, wrinkling my nose.

"Aww, Kaoru!"

"Mou, Sano. I was just kidding. You're so ultra-sensitive, you know that?" I say, pushing his head to the side. "Where are we going to eat?"

"Ummm…sushi bar?" he suggests and I nodded my head in reply. "That's settled then. I'll come pick you up at 12.30 later. Just wait for me at the front of the building, okay?"

"Okay!" I say, stepping out of the elevator at my department level. "Oh, and Sano?"

"Hmmm?" he asks, looking up at me from the elevator buttons.

"Your treat!"

* * *

"Hey, Kenshin?," says Tomoe, poking her head into his office. "Let's go out and have lunch."

"You go ahead," he says, not looking up from his paper work. "I'm not hungry."

"Come on, Tomoe," she says, walking over to him and closing the file. "You can't go on like this."

"Just leave me alone, Tomoe. I'm not in the mood."

"There is no way I'm going to leave you alone. Now get up. You're following me out for lunch whether you like it or not," she says, tugging him on the arm. Feeling defeated, he just stood up and followed her, taking his jacket with him on the way out.

"Okay, we're here," she says, pulling to a stop in front of the Sushi Bar. "Kenshin, why don't you go down and get us a table while I park the car?"

"Sure," he says absently, slamming the passenger door behind him.

She made a few rounds around the block, squinting against the sunlight to try to spot an empty parking space. To her delight, a car was just reversing out of its parking space and she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel while she waited for the driver to take his leave.

As she grabbed her purse and prepared to step out of her car, the number plate of the black car parked in front caught her attention.

8AN0-8A6A.

Her forehead creased a little and she leaned back in her seat slowly when she realized whose car it was.

Sagara Sanosuske.

She chewed on her thumbnail thoughtfully, then got out of her car and opened her car trunk. She hurriedly rummaged through the toolbox, which she kept in there for emergencies and her eyes gleamed when she caught sight of the edge of the little saw. Making sure that no one was around, she took the little saw with her and made her way over to the front of Sano's car.

Trying to act nonchalant, she lifted the hood of his car, then, with a sudden, sharp movement, she sliced his brake line in half. Slamming his hood back down again, she quickly disposed the saw by slipping it into a drain hole nearby and walked towards the sushi bar.

Don't blame me, Sagara. You were the one who brought this onto yourself.

* * *

"Sano! I can't eat anymore!" I whined.

"But you ate so little! We need to fatten you up!"

"Fatten me up? I'm not a Thanksgiving tur—" I stopped abruptly, catching sight of Kenshin who had just stepped into the restaurant. "Oh no," I muttered, slumping down lower in my seat.

"What?" asks Sano, turning to look over his shoulder. "Oh…" he trailed off, looking back at me. "I'll go pay the bill. Just sit tight for a few minutes and we'll be off, all right?"

"Yeah," I say. "Thanks."

As Kenshin scanned the busy restaurant for an empty table, our eyes met. It was as though time had stopped. Everyone else just seemed to fade away, leaving only the both of us. We must have been staring at each other for quite a while before he spun on his heel and walked out of the restaurant, breaking the gaze. I heaved a sigh, then stood up and walked over to where Sano stood.

"All done," he says as I approached him. "You feeling all right?" he asks, as we head out onto the streets.

"Yeah. Don't worry," I say, giving him a warm smile.

"Right. Just wait here for me, okay? I'll go and get the car."

"It's all right, Sano. I'll walk with you."

"No, you stay put. It's a little far. Just wait for me!" he says, running off.

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, fiddling with the buttons of my jacket. Just then, I caught sight of Kenshin with Tomoe, walking round the corner across the street, arm in arm. I averted my gaze quickly, pretending as though I had not seen them.

I stood up on tiptoes and tried to look for Sano's black sports car. Spotting it cruising down the road, I walked towards the front of the sidewalk, preparing to get in. But, to my utter surprise, he did not stop. And as he passed me by, I could see worry etched all over his features. It could have been my imagination...I wasn't sure.

My eyes widened in shock as I stared after his car. As though in slow motion, I watched him as he swerved to the right sharply to avoid colliding with an oncoming truck, only to crash into the brick wall opposite. The echoes of screaming tires and the sound of glass breaking kept playing over and over again in my head. Before I knew it, I was running towards the wreck, tears streaming down my face.

"SANO!"

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry, I know some of you decided on pay back for Tomoe, but that's in two chappies and I've decided on what it is. Some reader felt bad for Tomoe, so I'll make her "punishment" be fair and hopefully ok with everyone.

**Next Chappie:** can't give clues, but get tissues.

* * *


	29. Departure

A/N: This chappie was up and ready to go three days ago, but fanfiction had a lil problem so i couldn't update.

* * *

**Chapter 28  
Departure**

(Kenshin's POV)

"SANO!"

Kaoru's voice echoed in the back of my brain. I can't believe this, she's moved on already. Fustrated, I turn back to Tomoe, surprised to see her standing up to see through the glass outside.

"Tomoe, what are you doing?" I said exasperated five minutes later.

"Oh, no." She whispered.

"What now?" my annoyance building.

Seconds after I asked, I heard a fire truck roaring down the streets like mad. Just another stupid accident.

"Tomoe, let's go, I'm not hungry."

When I got up, she sat in her seat, staring at her hands, and then suddenly started to stuff food inot her mouth.

"Whatever, look, I'll be in the car." turning around, I walked out the door.

The instant I stepped outside, Kaoru's sniffles reached my ears. I spun around, my hair whipping after me, to see the rescue truck was right next to Kaoru. Forgetting any anger, I sprinting down the sidewalk, spinning her around. I looked at her from top to bottom, checking if she was hurt, after convincing myself she's fine, I turned to the nearest fire man and grabbed him by his arm.

"What happened?"

"We're not sure, the man, Sagara Sanosuske, drove into the truck. Sir, if you don't mind, I have to take him to the hospital." Turning towards Kaoru, "Kamiya-san, are you ok? Would you like to come with us?"

Shaking free of my grasp, she nodded as she stepped into the truck after the rescue team.

Nailed to my spot, I watch the fire truck once again blaze down the street until it turned around the corner. "What just happened?" I whispered to myself. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I have the instant feeling that Tomoe was some how involved in all this.

* * *

(Kaoru POV)

"Dear God, I don't wish for anything more. Please, just let him be safe," I prayed silently, sitting on the bench outside the emergency room. I squeezed my eyes shut and clasped my hands together tightly, repeating the same sentence, over and over again in my head.

"Kaoru," came a breathless voice from down the corridor.

"Aoshi," I say, running towards him. I buried my head in his shirt and sobbed, my tears wetting his crisp silk shirt.

"Shhh…" he says, trying to soothe me. "He'll be fine," he says, his voice wavering slightly.

"What if he doesn't?" I ask, raising my head to look up at him. "What if he doesn't make it?"

"He will," says Akira, coming up from behind Aoshi, his eyes red. "I know he will. He won't disappoint any one of us."

"You okay?" asks Aoshi, patting Akira on the back.

"Yeah," answers Akira, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. Then he turned to look at me. "Kaoru?"

"Coping," I say, as a fresh flood of tears streamed down my face.

"Hey," pants Soujiro running up to us, with Shishio right behind him. "We came directly from the airport after your call, Akira. How's Sano?"

"Still in there," I answered, pointing to the closed doors of the emergency room.

"Damn," Soujiro exhaled, running his fingers through his hair. "Come here, Kaoru," he says, enveloping me in a warm hug and kissing me on the top of my head. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be all right."  
The moment the doors to the emergency room slammed open, all five of us jumped to our feet and ran towards the doctor.

"How is he?" asks Akira.  
"There is nothing to worry about. He's in a stable condition now. He just suffered a few minor cuts and bruises here and there."

"Thank you," I say gratefully, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank you so, so much."

"When will we be able to visit him?" asks Soujiro, putting an arm around my shoulder.

"Not now, preferably. He needs a lot of rest. Why don't you all come again tomorrow? I'm sure he'll be up by then. By the way, have you all contacted any of his family members?"

"Yeah, I already have," says Akira. "They're on a plane ride back from Las Vegas."

"Oh, all right then. Sorry to trouble you."

"It's no trouble at all," says Akira, bowing slightly.

"Come on," says Jung Tae, ushering all of us out of the place. "Let's go get some much needed rest. You can all crash over at our house."

I groaned and rolled over onto my side, awaken from my nap by the incessant ringing of my cell phone.

"Kaoru," grumbled Soujiro, who lay sprawled out on the couch. "Pick it up."

"I'm looking for it," I say, yawning while I searched through my bag for my phone. Finally finding it, I flipped it open and frowned slightly at the unfamiliar number. Just then, a pillow came flying towards me, hitting me squarely in the face.

"Yah, Soujiro!" I yelled.

"Serves you right," he mumbled. "Now, will you please pick up the phone?"

I stuck my tongue out at him before speaking into the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hello, may I please speak to Kamiya Kaoru?"

"This is Kaoru speaking," I say. "May I know who's on the line?"

"I'm Sae, from Tokyo Car Workshop. You sent in a black sports car bearing the plate number

8an08a6a earlier in the afternoon, am I right?"

"Oh, right. Is there anything wrong?"

"As a matter of fact, there is. I think it would be better if you came down here and take a look at what I found."

"All right. I'll be there in half an hour," I say, scrambling out of bed and jostling Soujiro's shoulder.

"Okay, I'll see you then," he says, before hanging up.

"What is it?" asks Soujiro, rubbing his eyes.

"The man at the workshop called me up. He found something wrong with Sano's car."

"Excuse me," I say, tapping a guy in blue overalls, with his back facing us, on the shoulder.

"Yes, miss?" he asks, turning to look at me. "May I help you?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for a person named Sae."

"You must be Kamiya-san," he says, grinning broadly, extending his right hand towards me, after he had rubbed it a few times on his overalls. "I'm Okita."

"Just call me Kaoru," I say, smiling back at him. "And this is my friend, Soujiro."

"Good to meet you, sir," he says, bowing slightly.

"You don't have to be so formal," says Soujiro, chuckling a little.

"So," I say. "What was it that you wanted to show me?"

"Oh, follow me," he says, leading us to where Sano's wrecked car was parked. "Look at this," he says, lifting the hood of the car and pointing to where a long black rubber was cut into two.

Frowning a little, Soujiro leaned forward and held onto one end of the rubber, inspecting it closely. He chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully, before straightening himself. Then, he turned to look at me, his eyes clouded over with surprise.

"It was cut."

* * *

I raised my eyebrows at him questioningly, not getting what he was trying to tell me.

"The brake lines were cut."

"Sano?" I ask, walking into his room.

"Hey, Kaoru," he says, smiling brightly at me.

"How're you doing?"

"Pretty good. Where are the rest of the guys?" he asks, patting the empty space on his bed. "Come and sit."

"They said they'll drop by later," I say, plopping down on his bed. "By the way, I brought you some chocolate chip cookies!"

"Awwww," he cooed. "So sweet of you! But do you know what would really make my day?" he asks. "If you checked me out of the hospital this instant!"

"No way, Sano. The doctor says you need to stay in here for at least one week and today is only your third day!"

"Come on, Kao," he pleads. "I'm doing pretty well. Can't you at least ask him to let me out early, if not today?"

"Nope. Even if he did, I wouldn't let you," I say, smacking his forehead. "Just in case."

"Hey, watch where you hit!" he says, covering his bandaged head with both his hands. "By the way, here's your tape recorder. I'm sorry it's such a wreck. I promise I'll get you a new one," he says apologetically, handing me the wrecked piece of machinery.

"Nah," I say, brushing his comment off. "It's all right. It's not like I really needed it anyway."  
I fiddled around with the tape recorder, trying to muster up enough courage to ask him about the accident.

"Sano…" I began.

"Hey, Kao…" he says, at the same time.

We both turned to look at each other and burst out laughing.

"You go first," he says.

"Okay…well…" I say, twisting my fingers together. "It's…it's about the accident."

"What about it?" he asks, raising his eyebrows at me questioningly.

"How did it happen?"

"Oh, it was nothing, really," he mumbled, avoiding my eyes. "The road must have been wet at that time, causing me to lose control of my car. You know, the tires are pretty old after all."

"But you just changed your tires two years ago! Look, after the accident, I sent your car to the workshop to see what they can do about it, and they found out that your brake lines were cut."

"What?" he asks, turning to look at me.

"It came as a surprise to me too, but that's beside the point," I say. "Can you think of anyone, anyone at all, who might want to cause you harm?"

He looked uncertainly at me for a few moments before averting his gaze once again. "No," he answered in a soft voice.

I could tell he was hiding something from me, but I didn't press the matter any further. "It's all right then. Don't worry about it," I say, squeezing his hand.

"Hey, Kao," he says, after a pause.

"Hmm?" I ask absently.

"I need you to promise me a few things."

"What for?"

"Just because."

"Well…let's hear it first, then."

"If…let's just say, if…something happens to me, and I may not be able to be by your side anymore, promise me you won't cry too much, okay?"

"What are you talking about, Sano?" I ask, frowning.

"Just hear me out, first, Kaoru. It's important."

"Right," I say softly, nodding my head.

"You'll have to eat all your meals, and never skip any one of them no matter how busy you are. You'll have to take good care of yourself, especially of your health. Try not to do anything that may risk you getting hurt. Don't be too saddened by my leave. You have to be strong and bounce back, okay? Never give up hope, even when you're down to all your last resorts. And most importantly," he says, taking a deep breath.

"Don't forget me."

"Sano..," I began.

"Promise, Kaoru?" he interrupted, scanning my face.

I closed my eyes and bit the insides of my cheeks. I was at a loss for words.

"Kaoru?"

I reopened my eyes slowly and gave him a small smile, which I managed to muster, with a lot of difficulty.

"I promise, Sano."

"Hey, I'm going out to get some coffee from the vending machine outside. Want anything?" I ask, nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie.

"Get me a cup of whatever you're having," he says, smiling warmly back at me.

"Alrighty!" I say, getting to my feet. "Wait for me, okay? I'll be back really quick." Just as I was about to shut the door behind me, he called out to me.

"Kaoru!" he yells.

"Yeah?" I ask, pushing the door open again.

"Remember your promise."

"I will, Sano. Don't worry," I say, assuring him.

I put some coins into the vending machine and pressed for a cup of café latte. I tapped my foot impatiently while I waited for the little cup to fill. Taking it out, I inserted a few more coins into the machine and pressed for another cup of the same type of coffee.

I walked back towards his room slowly, so that the coffee would not slosh all over the floor. Just then, from behind me, I heard the sound of many shoes tapping against the floor in a hurried manner.

"Make way, please!" yelled a nurse. "This is an emergency!"

Jumping to the side reflexively, three doctors ran past me, while another 3 nurses trailed behind them. As they brushed past me, I caught snatches of their conversation which made my blood turn cold.

"…patient in room 219…"

"…critical condition…"

"…out of the blue…"

The conversation I had with Sano earlier played over and over again in my head.

"If…let's just say, if…something happens to me, and I may not be able to be by your side anymore, promise me you won't cry, okay?"

"You'll have to eat all your meals, and never skip any one of them no matter how busy you are. You'll have to take good care of yourself, especially of your health."

" Try not to do anything that may risk you getting hurt."

"Don't be too saddened by my leave. You have to be strong and bounce back, okay?"

"Never give up hope, even when you're down to all your last resorts."

"And most importantly, don't forget me."

Don't forget me…

Don't forget me…

Both the coffee cups fell to the ground, splashing hot coffee all over my jeans and shoes, but I didn't care. I just stood rooted to the spot, staring at the open door of room 219-Sano's Room.

* * *

A/N : Sorry didn't tell u if he survived or not… but you probably can guess. Well the Recorder broke, will Kaoru ever get back with Kenshin? And will Tomoe get away with this? Good thing: Kenshin has started to suspect Tomoe!

Next Chappie: Sano's Good, and Some revenge on Tomoe's self bashing, her guilt is going to start consuming her as she realize what she's been doing.


	30. Sayonara

**A/N: **To all my readers, sorry about the delay. One of my close friends just died, and didn't feel like writing for a while. But still, I apologize for making you wait.

* * *

**Chapter 29  
Sayonara**

I stood to the side, watching people swarm in and out of the place, paying their last respects to him. Six years of friendship, all gone…just like that. I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall, thinking back to what the doctors said.

"_We're sorry," says one of the doctor, shaking his head apologetically. "We couldn't save him."_

"_What happened?" I ask softly, tears streaming down my face._

"_We're not very sure, but it appears that he has a weak heart, and has a record of heart failures. This car accident scratched his aorta and it might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back." _

"_WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN THE STRAW THAT BREAKS A CAMEL'S BACK? WELL GO FIX IT, I DON'T CARE IF HE'S DEAD OR NOT, MAKE HIM BETTER!" I started to go hysterical._

"_We're sorry, we tried everything. Please, please, try to remain calm…"_

"_Remain calm? You expect me to REMAIN CALM?"_

_  
"We're very, very sorry. We wanted to save him as much as you did." After a slight pause, he spoke again. "I know this is going to sound weird, coming from a professional doctor like me, but, it was almost as if he knew his time was up."  
_

"_Wh-what d-do you mean?" I ask shakily.  
_

"_When we got to him, he was already gone. But, he had a small smile on his face and he looked very peaceful…very serene…almost as if he knew."

* * *

_

"Kaoru," says Mrs. Sagara softly, coming to stand beside me. "Are you okay?" she asks, scanning my face.

"Yeah," I say, nodding my head. "I'm fine. Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh yes, the service will begin in a few minutes."

"Right," I say, clasping my hands together. "I'll be there in a few moments."

"Kaoru," she says, reaching out to cover my hands with her own. "Thank you for doing all this. Sano would have wanted it."

"Thank you all for coming," says Mr. Sagara, as he took his wife's hand. "We're very honored at all the support you've given to us by attending this service. We've also reserved today to give everyone an opportunity to remember Sano, my son – to share with everyone present all the little ways he touched our lives."

"Please, anyone who wishes to say something about Sano, just come up to the podium and speak," says Mrs. Sagara. "This time is for you."

After a moment of uncomfortable silence in the crowd, Aoshi stood up.

"I considered Sano as one of my best friends. He was always ready to listen whenever I needed someone, and he would help me lighten up when I got too down on myself or confused. He was an amazing person, always putting others before himself." He stopped speaking for a moment, scanning the sea of faces, all concentrated on him.

"Sano was unique," he finally said simply. "There was nobody else like him, and there never will be. All I know is that I will miss him very much."

"I knew Sano not through articles or interviews. I knew him as the guy I could call on when I was having trouble changing a flat tire – and as someone who would say, "Stay right there, I'll be there in ten minutes." He was the guy I could ask if my tie was correctly knotted or what his thoughts on the stock exchange were. He was someone that would check his character judgments with me and someone who would start whispering to me a hilarious idea in the middle of a boring meeting. Sano was a unique individual. He was quiet and perceptive, although he could be loud when he wanted to, kind and honest, possessing a quick wit and a questioning mind. In this land of minute friendships started at events and held up by lunch meetings, I've experience two emotions that are equally impossible to describe…happiness, to have called him my friend and the overwhelming, all-devouring sense of loss."

I nodded and wiped away a tear as Aoshi sat down. Before I could even think about what I was doing, I stood up myself. Shaking with nerves, I walked to the podium. For a few seconds, I stood still, taking in deep breaths to try to calm myself. Then, in a loud, steady voice, I spoke.

"I first met Sano way back when we were in high school. We didn't immediately click together at first, but somehow, along the way, we became best friends. It didn't matter to him how ugly I looked. It didn't matter to him that nobody else wanted to talk to me back then, except for Soujiro. It didn't bother him that people were beginning to shun him because he was mixing around with me. He didn't believe any of the gossips that went around about me either. He just brushed them off carelessly and said, "People these days just have too much time on their hands, don't they?"

I pushed my hair off my forehead and took a deep breath before returning to my speech.

"He saw a side of me that nobody had ever seen before. The days I spent with him were one of the best ones in my life. He saw what was inside me, and he worked hard to keep inspiring my soul…which he did every single day. And that's what was so incredible about him. He could see the best thing in about everybody that he met. He could look deeper, into your heart, and talk to that place where you were your best self possible. He always had a smile for everybody."

I bit my bottom lip and closed my eyes for a few seconds. "The world is a worse place without him, but it will never be a terrible place because of all the love he shared when he was here. I will miss him always, but I'm glad…glad, that I got to know him, as a best friend should."

Just as I was about to head back towards my seat, a thought struck me. I headed over to the pianist and whispered something into his ear, to which he nodded in reply.

Walking back towards the podium, I paused hesitantly, before speaking. "There is this song, which I would like to sing…in loving memory of him." I nodded at the pianist and a soft melody began to fill the entire place.

It must have been cold there in my shadow,  
To never have sunlight on your face.  
You were content to let me shine, that's you way,  
You always walked a step behind.  
So I was the one with all the glory,  
While you were the one with all the dreams.  
Beautiful face without a name, for so long,  
A beautiful smile to hide the pain.  
Did you ever know that you're my hero?  
You're everything that I would like to be.  
You're everything I would like to be.  
I could fly higher than an eagle,  
But you are the wind beneath my wings.  
It might have appeared to go unnoticed,  
But I've got it all here in my mind.  
I want you to know, I know the truth, of course I know it,  
I would be nothing without you.  
Did you ever know that you're my hero?  
You're everything I wish I could be.  
I would fly higher than an eagle,  
For you are the wind beneath my wings.  
Did I ever tell you you're my hero?  
You're everything, everything I wish I could be.  
Oh, I can fly higher than an eagle,  
For you are the wind beneath my wings.  
You are the wind beneath my wings.

Halfway through the song, I couldn't struggle against my tears any longer. They started to run down my face, but I paid them no attention. I was almost done, and it seemed right to cry for Sano, whether I had promised him or not…for all the love that he had showered on me…for all the love that I had lost. I knew I would feel the pain of his absence forever, but it was so important that I'd had the chance to say good-bye.

* * *

"Himura Kenshin?" says Sano's mother, coming to stand next to me.

He shook his head slightly and with great difficulty, tore his gaze away from Kaoru, who stood in one corner, crying into Soujiro's shoulder.

"Mrs. Sagara," he says, bowing slightly as a form of respect.

"You don't have to be so formal, dear," she says, laughing a little.

"It's only right of me to do so," he replied, smiling back at her.

"Anyway, thanks for coming. I really appreciate it," she says, looking out at the crowd.

"Sano would have appreciated it," she says after a slight pause, turning to look at him.

"He was a great guy…a truly wonderful person," he says quietly.

"Yes, he was," says Mrs. Sagara, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he says, hurriedly handing her a tissue. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's all right. Nothing to worry about," she says, gratefully accepting the tissue and dabbing gently at her eyes. "By the way, Sano wanted me to give this to you," she says, handing him a brown envelope.

"What's this?" he asks, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"I have no idea. He left behind a few envelopes addressed to different people. I found the whole lot of them in his bedside drawer in the hospital room when I cleared his things the other day." She turned to look at him. "It must be something important, because in his letter to me, he stated very clearly that I was to hand it to you personally, no matter what."

"Right. Thank you very much," he says, pocketing the envelope securely. "If you don't mind my asking," he begins hesitantly. "How…how did Sano…" he trailed off, unable to finish his question without making him look stupid in front of her.

"I know what you're trying to ask," she assured him, patting him gently on the arm. "I don't really know what happened either. But what I do know is that he knew…he knew that he didn't have much time left."

With that, she walked away, leaving Kenshin standing by himself, deep in thought.

"Do you know where his room is? Or would you like someone to escort you up?" asks Mrs. Sagara gently, turning to look at me.

"Oh, that wouldn't be necessary. I know where his room is," I say.

"Wait, Kaoru," she calls out suddenly, halting me in my tracks. "Sano left this letter for you."

"A letter?" I ask. "H-how did he…" I trailed off, staring bewilderedly at the light blue envelope.

"You'll understand things better after you've read it," she says, smiling warmly at me, then giving me a slight push towards Sano's room.

* * *

I walked down the carpeted hallway, my feet sinking into the thick, plush carpet. When I reached the door that led to Sano's room, I paused, my right hand resting lightly on the doorknob, and my left hand clutching on to the envelope. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

The moment I stepped into his room, I caught a faint whiff of the cologne that he always used. I closed my eyes at the familiar scent and smiled. Slowly, I walked around the perimeters of his room, letting my fingers trail lightly over his belongings. I finally came to a stop at his bedside and sat down gently on it. I picked up the framed picture of him, Soujiro and I laughing together, which sat on his bedside table and gazed longingly at it, remembering all the happy times we had. A lone teardrop fell onto the picture and I wiped it off gently, before replacing the picture frame back to its original position.  
Finally realizing that I still held the envelope in my left hand, I turned it over slowly, and tore it open, as carefully as I can, making sure that I did not rip anything. This was the last thing that Sano left behind for me and I intended to keep it in good condition. I unfolded the paper inside and began to read.

_To my dearest Kaoru,  
_

_By the time you read this letter, I wouldn't be by your side anymore. I'm sorry that things had to end this way. I really am. But, if I were given the chance to turn back the hands of time, I still wouldn't change a single thing. Why, you may ask. The answer is pretty simple, actually. If I didn't get into that accident, whether it was planned or not, someone else in the world would have gotten hurt. It's fate. I'd rather be that someone than another person, because God knows, I wouldn't wish anyone to go through what I had to go through while I was in the car. And I'm also thankful, that you didn't follow me to the car that day. It would've killed me to know that you had gotten hurt…all because of me. By the way, I hope you didn't kill any of the doctors for not being able to save me. It wasn't their fault. Besides, I knew I didn't have much time left. Even though they told me I was only suffering from minor cuts and bruises, deep down, I knew something was wrong. I never told anyone about my heart condition, because I was diagnoised when I visited London. So don't feel bad, I didn't die from that accident. _

_There's this other thing, which I've kept bottled up inside me for 6 whole years, which I've always wanted to tell you about. I'm sorry I never mustered up enough courage to say it to you personally until it's too late because somehow, whenever I took one look at you, the words just died on my lips. Yeah, yeah…I'm a coward. Sue me. Anyway, in the past six years that we have been friends, somewhere along the line, I fell for you. Incredulous as it may sound, but it's true. I don't blame you for not returning any of my feelings though because one, you are so innocent that you didn't suspect anything, and two, because I know that you love Kenshin with all your heart. The reason why I'm telling you this is not to make you feel guilty, but so that you'll learn something from it. Never hide your true feelings, Kaoru. Don't wait until it is too late to tell someone you like them. Do what you feel is right. Do what your heart tells you to do. And in case you don't realize it yet, Kenshin is a keeper. Though he may have the world's worst temper and may seem suspicious of you at times, it's because he's insecure. I can tell, from the way he looks at you, he really does love you. Don't ever let him go.  
_

_Before I end this letter, I want you to know that meeting you was one of the best things that happened to me. I mean it…from the bottom of my heart. Thanks for always being there for me. Please do take good care of yourself, Kaoru. You mean the world to me. Enclosed with this letter is the necklace which I always wear. I want you to have it, because I know that you'll treasure it as much as I did. Oh, and remember that white cap that you always liked? It's yours now. Go ahead and take it. At least you'll have something to remember me by.  
_

_And Kaoru, please don't forget me. _

_I'll be watching over you.  
With love,  
Sagara Sano._

"You are such a roster, Sano," I say through my tears, to no one in particular. "A big, big roster." Just then, I heard a faint click and to my surprise, music began to fill the entire room.

No mountains too high, for you to climb  
All you have to do is have some climbing faith, oh yeah  
No rivers too wide, for you to make it across  
All you have to do is believe it when you pray  
And then you will see, the morning will come  
I saw the teardrops, and I heard you cry  
All you need is time, seek me and you shall find  
You have everything and you're still lonely  
It doesn't have to be this way, let me show you a better day  
And then you will see, the morning will come  
And all of your days will be bright as the sun  
So all of your fears, just cast them on me  
How can I make you see...  
I'll be your cloud up in the sky  
I'll be your shoulder when you cry  
I'll hear your voices when you call me  
I am your angel  
I'm your angel

"Goodbye, Sano. Rest in peace. I'll always remember you," I whispered. Through my tears, I smiled, then, I laughed a little. And when I laughed, I felt a light flutter against my cheek and my smile widened.

I had just been kissed…by an angel.

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry again about killing Sano… originally I was planning to keep Sano alive for Megumi and things, especially after I received the "threats" from my readers, but after my friend's death, I kinda figure, death is part of life and added it in. Hope no one kills me. And I promise to update soon.

Sorry for this slightly dull and delayed transition chapter, next chapter will have more action, promise.

**Next Chapter**: Kenshin finally earned his ticket to an one-way guilt trip for his stupidity, and Tomoe will experience a little of Kenshin's anger, first-handed too.


	31. Truth Be Told & Jinchuu

A/N: Last official chapter. I ended up combining two mini chapers.

* * *

**Truth Be Told  
****Chapter 30**

"Kao?" asks Soujiro, shaking my shoulders gently.

"Hmmm?" I mumbled, my eyes still closed.

"Do you want to go to work today?"

I opened my eyes slowly and looked up at the ceiling above me. Heaving a huge sigh, I sat up.

"Are you feeling better?" asks Soujiro, sitting down beside me. "Look, I'll just call in for you and tell them you're sick, okay? Then you can stay home and get more rest." He ruffled my hair fondly and then made a move to get up but I grabbed hold of his hand.

"Soujiro…" I say.

"What is it?" he asks, sitting back down.

"Can you send in a resignation letter for me?"

"What? Why?" he asks, his eyes filled with concern. "Did Kenshin do something to you? Or was it Tomoe?" he asks, his eyes suddenly cold and hard.

"No, they didn't do anything to me," I assured him. "I just don't feel like working there anymore."

"Oh, okay then," he says. "Wait…does this mean that you're coming to Kamiya Corps to work?" he asks excitedly.

"Maybe, but not anytime soon," I say, laughing.

"Why not?" he whined.

"Because I won't be here," I say softly, looking up at Soujiro.

"Wh-what do you mean?" he asks.

"I'm going away…for a little while."

* * *

"Good morning, Himura-san," Yumi said with a sad tone, getting up from her seat and bowing slightly.

"Morning, Yumi. Any messages?" he asks.

"Hajime Corps would like to know what you think about the proposal as soon as possible. The meeting with Hajime Saitou about the security and the public industry project has been postponed to next Thursday and I've already set up the meeting that you requested with Hyun Jun for tomorrow at 12.30. Oh, and there are some files on your desk which needs to be signed. Here's also a letter."

"Right. Thanks, Yumi, just let him in when he gets here." he says before entering his office.

He set his briefcase down on the floor and took off his jacket, flinging it over the arm of a chair. Then, he loosened his tie, flung it over his jacket and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt. Slumping down onto another chair nearby, he heaved a sigh and massaged his temples gently. He looked over to his desk which was stacked with numerous files and sighed again. Just as he was about to look away, he caught sight of the brown envelope which Sano had addressed to him, laying there on the one spot that wasn't covered with files and papers.

Curious, he got up and made his way over to his desk. He saw the white letter with Kaoru's handwriting on it, but he decided to put that off later, he just couldn't deal with her when his mind is swirling with confusion and mixed emotions.

He picked up the envelope and went back to where he had sat earlier. Carefully, he tore open the envelope and dumped all its contents, which fell with a clatter, onto the glass top of the coffee table. He did a double take when he saw a cassette being one of its items. He reached for the folded letter and hurriedly scanned through it.

Hey, Kenshin! Surprised? Hahaha…you're not the only one! Anyway, you would have probably seen the tape by now, enclosed with this letter, which I left behind for you. I've thought about it very long, before making up my mind to send it to you. After listening to it, I hope you'll do the right thing. Treat Kaoru well, okay?

Sagara Sanosuske.

No, he couldn't deal with Sano either, now isn't the time to bring up the past. Picking up Kaoru's letter again, he tore open the envelope, unfolding the letter and started reading. Two minutes passed, and he was still reading the same page, for the third time.

… I, Kamiya Kaoru, am officially resigning to work at Mitsurugi Inc. … 3:05 pm. June 3, 2004.

He looked at the clock, 2:05 pm. Almost 24 hours since the letter came in, almost exactly 24 hours from classifying this resignation official.

'It probably is for the best after all.' He thought with some doubt.

Kenshin picked up the cassette and held it between his index and forefinger, deep in thought. Deciding to not this off any longer, he stood up and walked over to where his stereo sat and popped the cassette in. He grabbed the remote and poured himself a glass of vodka before sitting down again. He ran his fingers through his hair then pressed the play button.

"_Hey, Tomoe."  
"Oh Sano? What are you doing here?"  
"Here to talk to you about some things."  
"Like what?"  
"I know you set Kaoru up."  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
"I'm sure you do. No point trying to pretend, Tomoe."  
"You're a very smart person, Sano."  
"Why did you do it?"  
"To take back what rightfully belongs to me."  
"Kenshin doesn't belong to anyone."  
"Yes, he does. He was mine, until Kaoru came into the picture. She ruined everything!"  
"If that's what you think, you lost him to Kaoru four years ago, Tomoe."  
"That's why I did it. I had to ruin her. It serves her right, anyway. She shouldn't have tried to take Kenshin away from me."  
"So, you hired a private investigator to find information on her."  
_

Just then, there was a knock at the door and Tomoe let herself into the room. "Hey, Ken—"_  
_

"_And also on Sakura."  
"How did you find out about Sakura? If I'm not mistaken, only a selected few were informed about it."  
"Pure luck. Kenshin accidentally dialed my number without him knowing it and I overheard the entire conversation he had with Kaoru."  
"Then you decided to use everything you had to break them apart, am I right?"  
"Exactly. I couldn't have said it better myself."  
"Why aren't you trying to deny any of this, Tomoe? Aren't you afraid I might tell Kenshin about it?"  
"You can try, but I doubt Kenshin will believe either you or Kaoru anymore. Besides, you don't have any proof."  
"You play the game well."_

Certain that the cassette had stopped rolling, Kenshin stood up numbly and turned to face Tomoe who had turned so pale, that she could have blended in with the color of the walls.

* * *

**Jinchuu  
****Chapter 31**

* * *

"Yukishiro Tomoe," he says, so coldly and so sharply, that she flinched.

Kenshin grabbed her by both of her wrist, pulled her in and closed the door with his foot. Pushing her against the wall, he struggled to remain calm.

"What is the meaning of that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She says, trying avoid his gaze, but Kenshin didn't let her.

Taking her by the chin, he forcefully tilted her head to look directly into his golden eyes.

"I'm sure you do." he said quietly, glaring at her. "would you still like to explain?"

Swatting his hand away, "She deserved it! She never should've messed with me in the first place. She got herself into this mess."

"Kaoru? Kaoru DESERVES THIS? You think…"

"YES, I tried to get her out the picture." Tomoe tried to squrme out of his grasp.

Pressing his own body closer to hers, in a low quiet voice, "You were trying to take her out the picture so we can get back together, right?"

"Yes!" Looking down, she saw Kaoru's resignation letter, "and it worked, she resigned because she couldn't put up with me anymore, SHE lost our battle."

"I don't think she resigned because of you." Kenshin said by her ear.

The door opened once more.

"Himura-san is waiting for you." A distant voice said.

Walking in, Saitou's wolf eyes glanced at the two. "I think I'll come back in a few minutes."

Pushing himself away from Tomoe, "No, Let's talk now."

Tomoe tried to sneak out, not wanting to being under the Battousai's glare again.

"Wait, Yukishiro Tomoe. This is convient, I needed to talk to both of you, but for once, company matters will come later."

Kenshin turned from Saitou to Tomoe, what did they have in common?

"I am Hajime Saitou, president of Hajime Corporation, in charge of all Tokyo crime scenes and security department of Japan."

Tomoe's face turned white as a ghost.

"I will be arresting you for your crime five days ago for second degree murder." He goes towards Tomoe.

"Murder?" Kenshin placed a hand on his arm, stopping him, "You will not arrest anyone in this building with my consent. What did she do?"

Saitou pulled out a video tape, "this."

Kenshin took it and shoved it into his VCR. May 30th 12:45 pm. The tv projected the scene where Tomoe walked towards Sano's car after Kenshin entered the restaurant, took out a mini saw, opened Sano's hood and sliced the brake line in half.

"Is that enough to allow me to arrest her?"

"Not yet, please step outside. I need five minutes with her."

Kenshin's amber eyes blazed back to pure gold again. Saitou, seeing he wasn't going to help her get away, agreed.

At the click of the door, tomoe backed up to the wall. Kenshin took his time as he walked up to Tomoe.

"Tomoe. I can understand jealously, I can understand you hating Kaoru, but I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD HARM SANO!"

"IT'S HIS OWN FAULT!"

"How?"

"He recorded me and was going to tell you, I had to."

"Your obsessed—"

"I AM, I AM OBSESSED WITH YOU, I'VE BEEN OBSESSED WITH YOU, BUT YOU DITCHED ME FOR THAT … THAT BITCH!"

Kenshin just realized Kaoru went with Sano that day to the restaurant. 'What, what if Kaoru was in the car?' His hand came flying out, landing on the side of her face without even thinking. Her face snapped at the force of the impact.

"You set Kaoru up, killed Sano, and almost Kaoru too! Don't you DARE call Kaoru a bitch!"

Slowing touching where Kenshin had slapped her, "Does this mean you'll fall in love with me now?" She started to laugh hysterically.

Taking her wrist, "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT, You DISGUST me."

He opened the door, and threw her towards Saitou, "Take her away."

"I suppose we'll reschedule for another day." Saitou said on his way out with Tomoe heaved over his shoulder laughing like a maniac.

Slamming the door, he sank to the grounding, trying to comprehend everything that happened.

_I, Kamiya Kaoru, am officially resigning… "…let's just hope it isn't too late."_

Her words echoed in his head. Turning towards the clock, it read 2:28 pm.

_I still have time, I having to get to her now._

Kenshin bolted out the door, jumped in his care and slammed the accelerator.

* * *

"Damn," Kenshin muttered under his breath, banging his hands onto the steering wheel when he got caught up by a traffic light. "Damn, damn, damn, DAMN!"

His stomach twisted as he thought back to all the accusing things he said to her.

"_What do you think you're doing here?"  
"I came to see how Saku—"  
"She doesn't need you."  
"But I was just tryi—"  
"Don't you think you have done enough damage already?"  
"Look, Kenshin, whether you believe me or not, I didn't do it."  
"Really? Then tell me, who could be the culprit?"  
"I—I have no idea."  
"You do know, that apart from the guys, you are the only other person who knows about Sakura?"  
"Yes."  
"And I am willing to bet my life on it, that none of the guys did it. So, where does that leave you?"  
"Like I said earlier, I didn't do it."  
"How do you expect me to believe you, Kaoru? After all, you did hide your true identity from me. And like a fool, I trusted you with my biggest secret."  
"You know what? This is getting nowhere. I am so sick and tired of this whole thing. I'll just say this for the last time and I hope it gets into that thick skull of yours. I didn't do it. Why would I want to do something so mean and cruel in the first place? Sakura never did anything to hurt me. As for you, I can't really say much. Just one word of advice, Kenshin. When you finally realize that I didn't do it, let's just hope it isn't too late already."  
_

When you finally realize that I didn't do it, let's just hope it isn't too late already.

Isn't too late…

The moment the lights changed to green, he stepped so hard on the accelerator causing his car to zoom past so fast, that if you blinked, you would have missed it. He had to find Kaoru and apologize. Right away.

Before he lost her forever.

He skidded to a stop in front of the shiny black gates, looked at the clock: 3:15 pm. The 24 hours requirement has been met. Kenshin didn't care he would make any exception for her, running to the door he rang the doorbell continuously.

"Come on, already," he muttered under his breath.

Just then, Tae came running out to the now open gate. "Yes, may I help you?" she asks warmly.

"I'm looking for Kamiya Kaoru," he says in a rush.

"Kaoru-dono? May I know what your name is, sir?" she asks, her brows furrowing.

"Kenshin. Himura Kenshin."

"Mr. Himura," she says, shifting uncomfortably. "You see, at about seven minutes ago, Kaoru-do…"

"What? What about her?" he asks anxiously.

"She already—"

"Tae!" yelled Soujiro, running over to her. "I'll talk to him. Why don't you go inside and resume your work?" he asks, smiling warmly down at her.

"All right, Soujiro," she says, returning the smile before bowing and leaving the both of them alone.

Once Soujiro was sure that the Tae was out of earshot, he turned and forced a smile at Kenshin. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"I came here to see Kaoru," replied Kenshin, leveling his gaze with Soujiro's.

"No," says Soujiro sharply.

"Look, I don't have time to play these games with you, okay? I'm here to apologize to her, so if you'll excus—"

Before Kenshin could even finish his sentence, Soujiro had delivered a punch to his jaw, so strong, that he stumbled a few feet backwards. "What the hell was that for?" he yelled, wiping the blood off his lip with the back of his hand.

"That, is for you being such an ass."

He walked towards Kenshin and punched him again.

"That, was for not trusting Kaoru. And this," he says, throwing another punch at Kenshin. "Is for hurting her."

With great difficulty, Kenshin stood up to face Soujiro again. "If you're done, can I see her now?" he asks, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth.

"You can't," replied Soujiro grimly.

"Look, I'll do anything you want me to do, okay? Just let me see her, dammit!" yelled Kenshin angrily, pushing past him.

"She's gone." Soujiro said quietly.

Kenshin stopped dead in his tracks.

"What do you mean she's gone?"

"She's not here anymore. Not here as in not in this house, not in this city, and not in this country. Got that?"

"No…" whispered Kenshin, looking defeated.

"Oh, and she left behind something for you," says Soujiro, reaching into his pocket and flipping the item into the air.

It landed right at Kenshin's feet with a soft clink. Soujiro turned on his heel and headed back towards the house.

"You have no one but yourself to blame, Kenshin. You had your chance and you blew it."

Kenshin bent down to pick up the silver ring, the one that he had given to Kaoru on his birthday. He tilted it slightly so that the sunrays glinted off the sides of the ring. And as he read what was inscribed on the insides, a lone tear escaped from his eyes and fell onto his hand.

* * *

**A/N:** Should add the epilogue to make a different ending? If not, that would be the end.

1. If I do, I'll need my readers to give me a few suggestions.

2. Is this enough punishment for Tomoe, or does she need a lot more.

3. Should I let Tomoe and Akira hook up?

4. Should Kaoru and Kenshin meet again?

Tomoe was OOC on purpose, and sorry for such a late update, I had to decide how to punish Tomoe.


	32. Hidden Thoughts

Whew, fast update.

I have decided on an epilogue, but I need one/two more chapter to set it up, so hope you don't mind holding off to finalize the ending.

Tomoe will continue to be in this story despite many of your objections, sorry. I found pleasure in morphing her. This is the retrospection of that day.

Dedicated for those who wanted to know Kaoru and other sides of the story.

* * *

**Hidden Thoughts  
Chapter 32**

**Note**: Important, this goes back to the day before Kaoru left. Behind the Scenes.

* * *

Kaoru stayed in bed after signing some paperwork Soujiro prepared for her. Glancing at the clock, she signed down her name, date and time delicately. 

Kamiya Kaoru  
June 3, 2004

A small tear dripped down her cheeks, but she quickly wiped it away.

Letter of resignation. Resigning her job, resigning her friends, resigning her past life, resigning Kenshin.

None of it was easy for her. Kaoru can still remember when Megumi would try to flirt with Kenshin, Yahiko would pretend to be really strong and offered to protect her, and she would always be laughing at someone's story in the break room. She would give it all up. Perhaps after all Sano did for her, she should spend a little time in memory of him.

Soujiro came in and sat on her bed.

"How are you dealing, Kao?"

"I'll be ok, just let me rest for a little while and I'll be back to myself. Oh, here's the letter."

"Ok, I'll bring it in today at 3:00 ok?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime." Taking the letter, he started to walk towards the door.

"I'll miss you." Kaoru said quietly.

"Why? I'll always be here." Puzzled Soujiro replied.

"I know, and thank you, but I won't be. I thinking I'm going away for a little while, far far away. Don't worry, it's nothing."

Soujiro gave her a silent glance before nodding and walking out. 'She's strong, I know she is.'

* * *

Akira arrived at the Hajime Corps, parked in the VIP spots, and quickly walked passed the security guard without stopping. 

"Wait sir, I'll need to check your ID."

Akira took out his wallet, but realized he left it at home.

Groaning, he replied, "I don't have it, I left it at home."

"I'm sorry sir, I can not let you in."

"Are you kidding me? This is a case Saitou—I mean Hajime-san has requested for a long time."

"I… I could try paging him." the guard took his walkytalky(?) and started to page the secretary.

Just as the secretary picked up, Akira's phone rang, he stepped aside from the guard to answer it.

"Hello?"

"_Where are YOU?"_ Saitou's voice came booming in.

"Me? Heh, I would be stuck with your guard at the door."

"_Why?"_

"I forgot my ID."

"_Idiot"_

Akira tried to reply but Saitou already hung up. Walking back to the guard, he watched him try to page someone else. Sighing, he leaned against the wall, knowing he'll be yelled at by Saitou—Speaking of the devil…

"Kiyosato! Get over here right NOW!" Saitou demanded, standing in the open elevator.

"Hajime-sama!" The guard finally noticed.

"And YOU! He's a VIP of the building and company, isn't it your job to know them?!"

"H-hai. You may enter—I mean, please come in." the security guard said, intimidated by Saitou's wolf eyes.

"here are the tape, it has already been confirm with the evidence that Tomoe Yukishiro, the prime suspect, is indeed the one at fault."

"That woman." Saitou puffed his cigarette.

"Um, Saitou?"

"Hn?"

"Are you allowed to smoke inside?"

"Shut up." He said as the elevator doors closed.

* * *

Aoshi entered Kaoru's room seeing she was surfing the web on her bed. 

"Hey Kaoru-chan, what are you doing?"

"Hm… looking for airplane tickets."

"Why? Planning to take a vacation?" He went over and sat next to her. "To America?"

"Well, our company is become more and more international, and I was wondering if I could go there for, maybe a year or so to spread our name even more?" Kaoru said with a small smile.

"Kaoru, What's your real reason?"

"I don't know, I kind of just want to leave here for a while. Is that ok nee-san?"

"Of course, I understand, but don't run away from us, ne?"

Kaoru nodded her head, still trying to keep her tears in. She already promised herself no more crying.

"Hey nee-san?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you set me up with some industry so I can learn more about international fashion design? I know our own corporation only design modern and casual clothing, but I want to learn them all. Then we can become an even greater company."

"Sure, I'll go hook you up right now." He said with a bright smile.

Heading out the door, he knew she'll be ok, Kaoru's always his little sister, Kaoru.

* * *

Tomoe sat by her window staring down. Memories of Sano kept flashing back, haunting her. For once, she felt guilty about what she had done. 

'I didn't mean it, I just wanted to teach him a lesson to not mess with me. I didn't intend to kill him, I can't kill him.'

"_Hey, Tomoe! How are things with Kenshin going?"_

"_Ok I guess."_

"_What's wrong?" He said with his smiling face._

"_I don't know, I think Kenshin doesn't like me that much any more. I don't see how he could lose interest in me."_

"_Trying cutting down the ego?"_

_Tomoe slapped him softly across the arm, "What ego?" she pouted._

"_Okok, no ego."  
_

"_Stupid roster, your ego's as big as your hair."_

"_Hey! I'm just trying to help, don't go insulting my hair."_

"_Ha, roster." She laughed and pulls on his hair as he whinnes but doesn't stop her._

"_Hey! Your smiling." Sano pointed out, "Mission accomplished!"_

He was always there for her, always there to cheer her up until THAT time.

"_Tomoe, let's break up."  
_

"_Huh? Why Kenshin? Did I do something wrong? Please tell me, I'll change, I'll do anything for you."_

"_No, it's, it's not you. It's just that I can't seem to devote all my heart to you anymore. I'm being more and more torn away."_

"_Kenshin. I love you, I'll be your slave, I'll do anything you want, just don't push me away."_

"_I won't push you away. I promise, I'll always be there for you. I'll be your wall when you feel like you can't stand, and I'll support you in anything you do. But as of my heart, it's been taken. All my thoughts and emotions are poured over someone else now."_

"_By who?"_

_Kaoru and Soujiro came tumbling down of the school entry, giggling as they raced each other home._

"_Kenshin?" Tomoe tried to get his attention, but he eyes followed Kaoru as if he trying to memorize everything about her._

"_Kaoru." Tomoe stated. _

_He snapped back at Tomoe, "Huh?"_

"_You like Kaoru, don't you? In fact, you're obsessed with her."_

_Kenshin remained silent._

"_Don't leave me please? I just want to stay by your side, always, even if we are just friends."_

"_Alright, let stay friends."  
_

"_Promise?"_

"_Oro? As long as you don't decide to become a mass murder with a cold heart, sure."  
_

_Tomoe smiled gently._

_(three days later)_

_Kenshin walked up to Kaoru, "I'm sorry for everything, please forgive me."_

_Tomoe walked around the corner just as Kenshin had cornered Kaoru and leaning over her, but looking as if they were kissing._

"_Um, Batt—I mean, Himura, sure!" Kaoru said happily, relieved to not have Kenshin glaring at her for once._

_Tomoe's heart burned with jealously as she leaned back into the wall. She saw Kenshin smile at Kaoru, a small smile, but the most sincere one she's ever seen. He always helped Tomoe, and supported her, but never once has she gotten such a gentle smile like Kaoru did, and they've even been dating for three years._

_Kenshin left, and Kaoru was walking towards her. Pushing herself off the walls, she stepped in front of her. When Kaoru tried to take a side step to get past, Tomoe shoved her down._

"_You think you're so great?" Tomoe sneered._

_Sano just entered that hallway, seeing Kaoru be pushed down._

"_Tomoe! What are you doing?"_

"_S-Sano!"_

_Sano ignored her and rushed to Kaoru's side._

"_Are you ok? I heard from Soujiro you've almost passed out today." Turning towards Tomoe, "I knew you never like Kaoru, and never held that against you since I believe no one could ever like everyone, but you don't need to push her. Why did you do that?"_

"_I-I-I just can't stand her."_

"_Tomoe, sometimes I just don't understand you, why would you pick on someone who's sick?" _

_At that moment, Kaoru started to black out again, grabbing the back of Sano's shirt just as she was falling down. Sano felt a tug at his shirt and realized Kaoru was half way down, quickly catching her, he picked her up and started to carry her to the nurse's office._

"_Tomoe, you really are different than what I thought you were."_

"_but, but it's hard to explain when there's a hidden obsession in your heart." Tomoe whispered to herself after Sano left._

Although since then, they've grew quite distant, Tomoe never seemed to be able to forget Sano. Once in a while when she was down, and if it didn't involve Kaoru, she still called Sano up. For some reason, Sano had that ability to heal her problems. At times she wondered if Kenshin was nothing more than an obsession, and she really loved Sano. Wouldn't that have turned out better?

* * *

**June 4th, 2004  
2:00 pm.**

Kaoru sat on her bed, waiting for something to happen. She didn't know what but there was something at the back of her head, something undone lingering there. She already told Akira and the others good bye, packed her clothes, bought her ticket, and emailed all her ex-co-workers about her plan.

Her plan was due to leave at exactly 3:45 pm, she had over an hour left before she really needed to head out.

Taking Sano's hat, she buried her face in it. Somehow it felt like a hug that Sano would always give whenever she was feeling said. His scent was still on it, and the fuzzy midnight blue top of it felt just like Sano's soft hair when he didn't brush it, or when he cut it by accident. She almost giggled to herself before she remember that Sano left already. Grief flooded her again, but like she promised, she wouldn't shed a tear.

What was that thing she was trying to remember again? All Kaoru knew is to wait at her house until 3:00 pm. She was waiting for something, but it never occurred to her what it really was.

Going down stairs with her small trunk of clothing, a bag of food and other supplies, she flopped down on the couch next to Soujiro.

"Hey Kao."

"Sou-chan…"

She drifted off, not knowing what to say, but nothing was needed as the comforting music filled the room. Sitting next to Soujiro made her fee at ease, and everything then seemed almost complete.

A beep interrupted the silence. Kaoru took out her watch: 2:55 pm.

"I suppose that's good bye." Soujiro numbly said.

"Yeah, but I'll call you, promise."

"You better, or else I'll tickle you when you get back."

Silence.

"here, I'll get your bags. Enishi should be here by now."

"Enishi?"

Just as she asked, Tae came in the room. "Enishi's here to drive you to the airport."

"Like Tae said… he said he wanted to say good bye to you."

"Sou-chan, I thought you would drive me there."

"I was, but Enishi convienced me." Soujiro said while reaching forward to hug her, but she jumped away when a horn honked.

"Mou! I better go." Giving Soujiro a quick hug she walked towards the car, leaving him with all the baggage.

"Hey Kaoru!"

"Enishi! Even you knew?"

"Yeah, we were all thinking about throwing a party for you, but we decided that would be pointless."

"Pointless? O, great now I'm not worth it?"

"Pointless to celebrate you leaving. We'll throw you one when you come back, so come back soon. Ok?"

"Everything's all packed." Soujiro announced as Kaoru got in the car.

"everything ready?" Enishi asked.

"yup." Kaoru glanced at the clock. 3:04 pm. "Wait, just wait one more minute."

"Why?"

"I don't know, just wait one more minute."

Kaoru ended up hugging everyone all over again. 3:07 pm. Aoshi arrived.

"Kaoru! I made it! Whew, I drove like crazy, hoping you wouldn't leave!"

"Aoshi Nee-chan! I thought you had a meeting at 2:30."

"I did, but I left early." He said, reading in the car to give her a hug.

"Aww, you didn't have to."

"I know, but I wanted to. Remember to…"

"Mou! I know I know, eat three meals a day, brush teeth at least twice a day, take my naps and sleep eight hours etc etc."

Everyone laughed.

"Well I guess this is good by for now." Kaoru barely finished as Enishi's engine fired away.

"Sayanora!" They shouted after her.

Her eyes were attracted to the clock once more 3:12 pm. Enishi stopped at the traffic light that secure all the entry of the street.

"Hey, get me the map will you?" Enishi asked.

"You mean, you don't know where you are going?"

"Not really."

"Where is it?"

"Uh, oh, it's somewhere under your foot."

Kaoru looked down and saw a stack of maps, news paper and everything else.

"Mou! Your car looks like a dumpster." She bent down to find the Tokyo map.

3:13 pm. None of them paid attention to the blazing silver car zoomed right in front of them from a left turn. A silver sports car that had a certain redhead individual.

"I FOUND IT!" She sat back up again.

"Thanks, so where are you going?"

"Oh, New York first then anywhere that the company sends me."

* * *

**3:40 pm.**

While Kaoru sat in the first class airplane seat, Tomoe sat in jail. But she didn't mind, she was "with" Sano.

Facing the wall, she spoke to him as if he was the wall itself.

"Sano! Oh good, you're still alive. I swore I thought you died! Don't die, I'm sorry I hurt you, please forgive me? I'll forget Kenshin and my rivalry with Kaoru, ok? I will I will I will. Please hug me and comfort me as you used to in high school?

She sat there, waiting, but nothing happened.

"Sano, why? Why do you frown? Why won't you speak?"

"This way Hajime-sama, Kiyosato-san." A security guard led them towards Tomoe's cell.

"Bobby, give me the key, and give us some time."

"Yes sir" Bobby the security guard nodded.

"Tomoe." Akira said sullenly.

Tomoe's hair was disheveled, all her make up was smeared, and had tears streaming down her face. Running over, she grasped Akira's hands and begged in front of him, kneeling down.

"Please, Please let me see Sano. I won't believe it, I don't believe it." Looking at Saitou, "YOU, YOU ARE THE DEVIL, he told me Sano was dead, He dared to WISH Sano was DEAD!"

Tomoe continued to scream nonsense.

Akira looked over at Saitou, confused, but all Saitou did was shrug.

"I took her in, put her in the police car, and said she's arrested for second degree murder of Sagara Sanosuske."

"There won't be a trial, by Act of 239493, any one who is clearly insane will not even be presented in court by the Tokyo Law."

"Then where do you suppose we put her?"

"I don't know, I'm a lawyer, not a psychiatrist. I suppose… a mental institution?**  
**

* * *

**A/N:**

1. Is this enough punishment for Tomoe yet? (I have planned another half a year of punishment for her, and finally release her from this pain.)

2. Hopefully some of you won't criticize Tomoe TOO much now. She's an antagonist, but she does have her past too. I do plan on putting on a lighter ending for her.

3. Was this chapter boring? I know i didn't add anything too new here...

This was an early chapter because I'll be pretty busy for the next few weeks. I plan to finish this before May. There will be about two, at most three, chapters left. (That is, including the epilogue.)

I do plan on putting in happy endings and deal with my loose ends, such as Sano's death, Megumi, Misao, Soujiro, and possibly Akira… Depending on what you think.

**Next Chappie**: For those who wanted to see Tomoe suffer, here are the after math. What Kaoru will be doing. Other parts will be added, but it's quite obvious I squeezed my brain pretty hard this week.


End file.
